CVE-2023-21185
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows a guest user on Android devices to escalate privileges without requiring any permissions or user interaction. It affects Android 13 devices where the guest user account is enabled, potentially allowing unauthorized access to WiFi network configuration functions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Guest user gains full administrative control over WiFi settings, could potentially intercept network traffic, modify network configurations, or access restricted network resources.
Likely Case
Guest user modifies WiFi settings, connects to unauthorized networks, or disrupts legitimate network connectivity.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and guest account restrictions, impact is limited to WiFi configuration changes only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires guest user access but no additional permissions. No user interaction needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Update June 2023
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 June 2023 security update. 3. Restart device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Guest User Account
androidRemove guest user access to prevent exploitation
Settings > System > Multiple users > Guest > Remove guest
Restrict WiFi Settings Access
androidUse device management policies to restrict WiFi configuration changes
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable guest user accounts on all shared Android devices
- Implement network segmentation to limit WiFi configuration impact
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android version in Settings > About phone > Android version. If version is 13 and security patch level is before June 2023, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release && adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Android Security Patch Level shows 'June 5, 2023' or later in Settings > About phone > Android version.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized WiFi configuration changes by guest user
- Permission denial logs for WiFiNetworkFactory functions
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected WiFi network connections from guest accounts
- Changes to saved WiFi networks
SIEM Query:
source="android_system" AND (event="wifi_config_change" AND user="guest")