CVE-2016-6772 Privilege escalation in Android

What is CVE-2016-6772?

CVE-2016-6772 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 12 Jan 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Wi-Fi could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged process. This issue is rated as Moderate because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0. Android ID: A-31856351.

Weakness: CWE-264

Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-6772?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Google Android.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6772?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-6772 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2016-6772 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-6772 exists.

Public exploit code: 1 Exploit-DB entry.

Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

• CVE-2026-58704 Google Pixel Improper Authorization Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2025-48543 Android Runtime Use-After-Free Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2023-35674 Android Framework Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2025-48595 Android Framework Integer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2024-32896 Android Pixel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.1

All Google Android vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as GHSA-mq38-hch7-37p6.