Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-0879 is a high-severity Android SoC issue in the PowerVR kernel driver. A local app or process could use the missing size check to gain elevated privileges. It matters most for Android fleets using affected PowerVR-based SoCs without the relevant Android or OEM security updates.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority mobile fleet patching issue, not a broad internet-facing emergency. The business risk is privilege escalation on affected Android devices after local foothold. Priority should rise for high-risk users, unmanaged devices, or models with delayed OEM updates.
Technical view
PVRSRVBridgeRGXTDMSubmitTransfer lacks a required size check, creating an integer overflow path that can cause out-of-bounds heap access. The CVE describes local escalation of privilege with no user interaction. CVSS 3.1 rates it 7.8, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Android SoC environments using the affected PowerVR kernel driver. The source bundle does not identify specific device models, OEMs, chipsets, or Android releases beyond “Android SoC,” so asset validation depends on vendor and device security bulletin mapping.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. The issue requires local access and low privileges according to the CVSS vector, and no user interaction is needed. Do not assume remote exploitation from the supplied evidence.
Researcher notes
The evidence names the vulnerable function and bug class but does not provide patch diff, affected chipset list, exploit details, or device model coverage. Validation should focus on Android bulletin status, OEM advisories, and PowerVR driver presence rather than generic Android version assumptions.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Android and OEM security updates that include CVE-2021-0879 coverage.
- Check device vendor bulletins for affected PowerVR SoC driver packages.
- Prioritize managed Android devices with outdated security patch levels.
- Restrict sideloading and untrusted local app execution where operationally feasible.
- Monitor vendor guidance for device-specific fixes or support limits.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices by OEM, model, chipset, and security patch level.
- Confirm whether each vendor bulletin maps CVE-2021-0879 to the device.
- Verify deployed builds include the relevant Android security bulletin fixes.
- Review MDM compliance data for devices below required patch levels.
- Document unsupported devices that cannot receive vendor 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.
CWE-190: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-0879 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.