CVE-2023-40120

Local privilege escalation via blank media titles

Published Oct 27, 2023 · Updated May 5, 2025

Improper input validation in Android Framework 11 through 13 allows local users to escalate privileges by hiding service notices. MediaDataManager accepts empty or whitespace-only media metadata titles and creates media controls without a visible identifying title. A malicious app needs only local execution; no user interaction is required, and concealed foreground services can retain elevated background capabilities.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in Android Framework 11 through 13 allows local users to escalate privileges by hiding service notices. MediaDataManager accepts empty or whitespace-only media metadata titles and creates media controls without a visible identifying title. A malicious app needs only local execution; no user interaction is required, and concealed foreground services can retain elevated background capabilities.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-40120
Published
Oct 27, 2023
Updated
May 5, 2025
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 5, 2025Record 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 privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

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

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS: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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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