CVE-2011-1823
Android OS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Android OS
The vold volume manager daemon on Android 3.0 and 2.x before 2.3.4 trusts messages that are received from a PF_NETLINK socket, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code and gain root privileges via a negative index that bypasses a maximum-only signed integer check in the DirectVolume::handlePartitionAdded method, which triggers memory corruption, as demonstrated by Gingerbreak.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 8 September 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 29 September 2022.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 41.4%, which is higher than 98.7% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2011-1823 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2011-1823.
What does CVE-2011-1823 affect?
CVE-2011-1823 affects Android OS. The vold volume manager daemon on Android 3.0 and 2.x before 2.3.4 trusts messages that are received from a PF_NETLINK socket, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code and gain root privileges via a negative index that bypasses a maximum-only signed integer check in the DirectVolume::handlePartitionAdded method, which triggers memory corruption, as demonstrated by Gingerbreak.
How severe is CVE-2011-1823?
CVE-2011-1823 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 41.4%, higher than 98.7% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 29 September 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2011-1823?
Apply the vendor patch for Android OS as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.