# CVE-2011-1823: Android OS Privilege Escalation

> Local attackers can exploit an integer overflow in the Android volume manager to execute arbitrary code and gain root privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 8 Sep 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Jun 2011
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3hj2-5cwp-2349

## What is CVE-2011-1823?

CVE-2011-1823 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 9 Jun 2011. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vold volume manager daemon on Android 3.0 and 2.x before 2.3.4 trusts messages that are received from a PF_NETLINK socket, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code and gain root privileges via a negative index that bypasses a maximum-only signed integer check in the DirectVolume::handlePartitionAdded method, which triggers memory corruption, as demonstrated by Gingerbreak.

Weakness: CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-1823?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-1823?

No fix has been published for CVE-2011-1823 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 29 Sep 2022.

## Is CVE-2011-1823 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2011-1823 in the wild since at least 8 Sep 2022.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-1823 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-1823 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 9 Jun 2011. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2011-1823 in the wild since at least 8 Sep 2022.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1823/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1823/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-1823
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1823
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-1823

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1823/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.