CVE-2023-21268

SIM recognition interruption via noncanonical directory permission update

Published Aug 14, 2023 · Updated Oct 9, 2024

Path traversal in Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to interrupt SIM recognition without user interaction. MmsProvider.java changes directory permissions using a path derived from MMS part data without first resolving and constraining its canonical path. A local low-privileged process can reach the operation, and the bounded consequence is loss of SIM recognition.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Path traversal in Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to interrupt SIM recognition without user interaction. MmsProvider.java changes directory permissions using a path derived from MMS part data without first resolving and constraining its canonical path. A local low-privileged process can reach the operation, and the bounded consequence is loss of SIM recognition.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21268
Published
Aug 14, 2023
Updated
Oct 9, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-22, T1642
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 9, 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=11
  2. Affected versionversion=12
  3. Affected versionversion=12L
  4. Affected versionversion=13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=11; version=12; version=12L; version=13

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
T1642Endpoint Denial of Service

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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