CVE-2023-21257

Local privilege escalation via unchecked work-profile sideloading

Published Jul 12, 2023 · Updated Nov 6, 2024

Missing authorization in Google Android 13 allows local users to sideload apps into a policy-restricted work profile through ADB. InstallPackageHelper.updateSettingsInternalLI marks packages installed for every user without checking DISALLOW_INSTALL_APPS or DISALLOW_DEBUGGING_FEATURES. A local user with ADB access can bypass work-profile installation policy without user interaction and add software to the managed profile.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing authorization in Google Android 13 allows local users to sideload apps into a policy-restricted work profile through ADB. InstallPackageHelper.updateSettingsInternalLI marks packages installed for every user without checking DISALLOW_INSTALL_APPS or DISALLOW_DEBUGGING_FEATURES. A local user with ADB access can bypass work-profile installation policy without user interaction and add software to the managed profile.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21257
Published
Jul 12, 2023
Updated
Nov 6, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 6, 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

6.8NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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