CVE-2023-21254

Local privilege escalation via stale process state

Published Jul 12, 2023 · Updated Nov 5, 2024

Incorrect authorization in Android 13 allows local users to retain one-time permissions after their app process terminates. The OneTimePermissionUserManager getCurrentState method queries process state through a Binder API whose filter can leave a killed process marked pending-top, so permission expiry never starts. An app with a granted one-time permission can exploit the stale state without user interaction to keep that permission indefinitely after exiting.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Android 13 allows local users to retain one-time permissions after their app process terminates. The OneTimePermissionUserManager getCurrentState method queries process state through a Binder API whose filter can leave a killed process marked pending-top, so permission expiry never starts. An app with a granted one-time permission can exploit the stale state without user interaction to keep that permission indefinitely after exiting.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21254
Published
Jul 12, 2023
Updated
Nov 5, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-863, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=13

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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