CVE-2023-21388

Local privilege escalation via missing Settings permission check

Published Oct 30, 2023 · Updated Sep 6, 2024

Local privilege escalation in Google Android 14 Settings allows local users to bypass restrictions without user interaction. The Settings component omits a permission check when enforcing an unspecified restriction, allowing a low-privileged caller to reach functionality that should be denied. Local low privileges are required; Google has not disclosed the affected Settings function or the exact elevated action available.

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

Local privilege escalation in Google Android 14 Settings allows local users to bypass restrictions without user interaction. The Settings component omits a permission check when enforcing an unspecified restriction, allowing a low-privileged caller to reach functionality that should be denied. Local low privileges are required; Google has not disclosed the affected Settings function or the exact elevated action available.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21388
Published
Oct 30, 2023
Updated
Sep 6, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-862, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 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=14

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=14

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-862Missing Authorization
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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