# CVE-2023-21049: Information disclosure in Android

> A missing bounds check in Android's camera metadata handling allows local attackers with system privileges to read out-of-bounds memory, leading to information disclosure.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** A-236688120, GHSA-52w8-9f8q-6r2v, PUB-A-236688120

## What is CVE-2023-21049?

CVE-2023-21049 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 24 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In append_camera_metadata of camera_metadata.c, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local information disclosure with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-236688120References: N/A

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-21049?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-21049?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-21049 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-21049 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-2023-21049 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-21049 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 24 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-21049 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-2023-21049/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21049/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-21049
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21049
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-21049

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21049/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.