Host code execution via misplaced memory check
Published Aug 14, 2023 · Updated Oct 9, 2024
Privilege escalation in the Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to execute code in the host OS through KVM. In ARM64 KVM's mem_protect.c, host-initiated memory transitions checked a lazily created stage-2 PTE instead of validating the physical address in the host callback. Exploitation requires System execution privileges and access to a guest VM; it can cross the guest-host boundary to read host data or execute arbitrary host code without user interaction.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in the Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to execute code in the host OS through KVM. In ARM64 KVM's mem_protect.c, host-initiated memory transitions checked a lazily created stage-2 PTE instead of validating the physical address in the host callback. Exploitation requires System execution privileges and access to a guest VM; it can cross the guest-host boundary to read host data or execute arbitrary host code without user interaction.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-21264
- Published
- Aug 14, 2023
- Updated
- Oct 9, 2024
- Vendor
- Product
- Android
- Classifications
- CWE-119, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 9, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=Android kernel
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo