# CVE-2023-21264: Privilege escalation in Android

> A local attacker with system privileges can escalate privileges by exploiting a memory access check flaw in the Android hypervisor.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 14 Aug 2023
- **Updated:** 9 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** A-279739439, ASB-A-279739439, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-21264, GHSA-38wf-932f-qv6q, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2023-21264, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-21264

## What is CVE-2023-21264?

CVE-2023-21264 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 14 Aug 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In multiple functions of mem_protect.c, there is a possible way to access hypervisor memory due to a memory access check in the wrong place. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-21264?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-21264?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-21264 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-21264 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-2023-21264 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-21264 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 14 Aug 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-2023-21264 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-2023-21264/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21264/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-21264
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21264
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-21264

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21264/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.