Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a high-severity Android SoC kernel-driver flaw. A local app or process could abuse a PowerVR driver size-check error to gain higher privileges on affected devices. No user interaction is required.
Executive priority
Treat as important for Android device fleets, especially enterprise-owned or kiosk devices. Business urgency depends on whether deployed hardware uses the affected PowerVR driver and can receive OEM patches.
Technical view
PVRSRVBridgeServerSyncGetStatus in the PowerVR kernel driver lacks a size check, enabling integer overflow and out-of-bounds heap access. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local, low complexity, low privileges, no UI, high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Android devices whose SoC/vendor build includes the vulnerable PowerVR kernel driver. The provided sources do not identify every affected OEM, model, chipset, or Android release.
Exploitation context
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and does not require user interaction. The source bundle does not show KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation.
Researcher notes
The public data identifies CWE-190 and an Android SoC PowerVR kernel-driver path but gives limited device mapping. Avoid assuming broader product impact without OEM or chipset confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the relevant Android or OEM security update covering CVE-2021-0878.
- Check device vendor bulletins for model-specific firmware availability.
- Prioritize managed Android fleets with PowerVR-based SoCs.
- Retire or isolate devices that cannot receive vendor security updates.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices by OEM, model, SoC, and security patch level.
- Confirm whether vendor advisories list CVE-2021-0878 for each device line.
- Verify devices are at or beyond the vendor patch level containing the fix.
- Track exceptions for unsupported devices in vulnerability management records.
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.
CWE-190: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-0878 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2023-04-01CVE reference
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.
Integer Overflow or Wraparound
Integer Overflow or Wraparound represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.