# CVE-2020-0021: Denial of service in Android

> A missing package dependency test in Android's PackageManagerService allows remote attackers to cause a permanent denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-25vg-8r7j-58cf

## What is CVE-2020-0021?

CVE-2020-0021 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Google Android, published on 13 Feb 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In removeUnusedPackagesLPw of PackageManagerService.java, there is a possible permanent denial-of-service due to a missing package dependency test. This could lead to remote denial of service with User execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-141413692

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-0021?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-0021?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-0021 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-0021 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-0021 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-2020-0021 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-0021 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Google Android, published on 13 Feb 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-0021 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-2020-0021/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0021/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-0021
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0021
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-0021

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0021/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.