#VU57890 Use-after-free in Google Android - CVE-2021-1048

Vulnerability identifier: #VU57890

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 8.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-1048

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Google Android
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Google

Description

The vulnerability allows a malicious application to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free error in the Android kernel component within the epoll_loop_check_proc() function. A malicious application can trigger a use-after-free error and execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Note, the vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Google Android: 9 2021-09-01 - 9.0, 10 2020-12-05 - 12

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External links
https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2021-11-01
https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/77f4689de17c0887775bb77896f4cc11a39bf848

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

Yes. This vulnerability is being exploited in the wild.