CVE-2023-40096

Background audio capture via missing watcher flag

Published Dec 4, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Local privilege escalation in Google Android 11, 12, 12L, 13, and 14 allows local users to record audio while an app runs in the background. OpRecordAudioMonitor::onFirstRef in AudioRecordClient.cpp starts an AppOps watcher without WATCH_FOREGROUND_CHANGES, so foreground-state changes do not silence the recording. A user-executed app with microphone access is required; exploitation needs no further interaction and exposes captured audio.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
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 11, 12, 12L, 13, and 14 allows local users to record audio while an app runs in the background. OpRecordAudioMonitor::onFirstRef in AudioRecordClient.cpp starts an AppOps watcher without WATCH_FOREGROUND_CHANGES, so foreground-state changes do not silence the recording. A user-executed app with microphone access is required; exploitation needs no further interaction and exposes captured audio.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-40096
Published
Dec 4, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
T1123, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 4, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 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
  5. Affected versionversion=14

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=11; version=12; version=12L; version=13; version=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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1123Audio Capture
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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