Cross-user privilege escalation via wrong-user lock settings
Published Aug 14, 2023 · Updated Oct 9, 2024
Privilege escalation in Google Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to access another user's unlocked session after timeout. KeyguardViewMediator reads lock-after-timeout settings with Settings.System.getInt, which resolves the wrong user's values instead of querying them per user. A local user needs no additional execution privileges or interaction; the failure leaves the prior user's session unlocked across a user switch.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Google Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to access another user's unlocked session after timeout. KeyguardViewMediator reads lock-after-timeout settings with Settings.System.getInt, which resolves the wrong user's values instead of querying them per user. A local user needs no additional execution privileges or interaction; the failure leaves the prior user's session unlocked across a user switch.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-21281
- Published
- Aug 14, 2023
- Updated
- Oct 9, 2024
- Vendor
- Product
- Android
- Classifications
- T1404
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=11
- Affected versionversion=12
- Affected versionversion=12l
- Affected versionversion=12L
- Affected versionversion=13
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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