# CVE-2019-2131: Privilege escalation in Android

> Local attackers with overlay permissions can escalate privileges by displaying overlays on settings UI, requiring user interaction.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9w64-42h9-47g5

## What is CVE-2019-2131?

CVE-2019-2131 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 20 Aug 2019. 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 application with overlay permission can display overlays on top of settings UI. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Product: Android. Versions: Android-7.0 Android-7.1.1 Android-7.1.2 Android-8.0 Android-8.1 Android-9. Android ID: A-119115683.

Weakness: CWE-1188 (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-2131?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-2131?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-2131 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-2131 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-2131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2019-2131 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-2131 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 20 Aug 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-2131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2019-2131/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-2131/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-2131
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-2131
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-2131

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-2131/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.