CVE-2023-21027
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an authentication misconfiguration vulnerability in Android's PasspointXmlUtils.java that could allow remote information disclosure without user interaction. It affects Android 13 devices, potentially exposing sensitive network authentication data to attackers.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could remotely access and exfiltrate sensitive Wi-Fi authentication credentials, network configurations, or user data without any user interaction or elevated privileges.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to Passpoint/HS2.0 network configuration data, potentially exposing Wi-Fi authentication credentials and network preferences.
If Mitigated
Limited exposure of non-critical configuration data if network segmentation and access controls are properly implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires understanding of Passpoint/HS2.0 protocols and targeting vulnerable network configurations. No authentication needed for exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level June 2023 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2023-06-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for Android system updates in Settings > System > System update. 2. Install the June 2023 or later security patch. 3. Restart the device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Passpoint/HS2.0 Wi-Fi
androidTemporarily disable Passpoint automatic connection features to reduce attack surface
Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi preferences > Advanced > Passpoint > Disable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable automatic connection to Passpoint/HS2.0 networks in Wi-Fi settings
- Use VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks to encrypt traffic
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android version in Settings > About phone > Android version. If it shows Android 13 with security patch level before June 2023, the device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Android version is 13 with security patch level June 2023 or later in Settings > About phone > Android version.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual Passpoint authentication attempts
- Multiple failed authentication requests to Passpoint services
- Unexpected XML parsing errors in Wi-Fi services
Network Indicators:
- Suspicious traffic to Passpoint authentication servers
- Unusual XML data transfers on Wi-Fi interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="android_system" AND (event="passpoint_auth" OR event="wifi_config") AND status="failed" | stats count by device_id