Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Android 11 issue could let a local user bypass device administrator settings because the interface was unclear. It is not described as remotely exploitable, and exploitation requires user interaction. The main risk is weakened management controls on affected Android 11 devices that remain unpatched.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate mobile endpoint hygiene issue. It is not shown as actively exploited or remote, but it can weaken administrative controls on Android 11 devices and should be addressed through standard patch compliance.
Technical view
CVE-2021-0553 is a local privilege escalation issue in Android 11. The CVE cites onBindViewHolder in AppSwitchPreference.java and a possible device admin settings bypass caused by unclear UI. User execution privileges and user interaction are required. No CVSS, CWE, or broader affected-version details are provided.
Likely exposure
Confirmed affected scope is Android 11. Exposure is most relevant to managed Android fleets where device administrator settings enforce security policy. The sources do not identify other Android versions or specific device models beyond the referenced Pixel security bulletin.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation is described as local, requiring user execution privileges and user interaction, which lowers mass exploitation likelihood but still matters for managed-device control bypass risk.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: no CVSS vector, CWE, exploit report, or detailed patch diff is included in the provided bundle. Analysis should stay limited to Android 11, local privilege escalation, device admin settings bypass, user interaction, and the referenced Android ID A-169936038.
Mitigation direction
- Review the June 2021 Android/Pixel security bulletin for vendor update guidance.
- Apply applicable Android security updates to affected Android 11 devices.
- Prioritize managed or policy-enforced devices where device admin settings matter.
- Monitor vendor advisories for any clarified affected scope or remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android 11 devices in the environment.
- Check device security patch levels against vendor guidance for June 2021 or later.
- Confirm managed-device policies remain enforced after update deployment.
- Review MDM reporting for devices missing required Android security updates.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2021-0553 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2021-06-01CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.