Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-0882 is an Android SoC kernel driver flaw involving PowerVR graphics code. A malicious local app could potentially gain higher privileges on an affected device without user interaction. The business risk is strongest for Android fleets with vulnerable SoC vendor firmware that has not absorbed the Android April 2023 security fixes.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority mobile fleet patching issue, especially for Android devices with unknown SoC firmware status. It is not a remote internet-facing bug, but local privilege escalation can materially increase impact after app compromise.
Technical view
The issue is in PVRSRVBridgeRGXKickSync in the PowerVR kernel driver. A missing size check can cause integer overflow and out-of-bounds heap access, leading to local privilege escalation. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Android SoC builds using the affected PowerVR kernel driver. The sources do not identify specific device models, chipsets, or OEM firmware versions, so validation must be device- and vendor-specific.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked as CISA KEV. Exploitation is local and requires some existing low-privileged execution on the device, such as a malicious or compromised app.
Researcher notes
Core evidence is strong for the vulnerability class, affected Android SoC context, and severity. Public scope is incomplete: the bundle does not name exact OEMs, devices, chips, fixed commits, or exploit availability. Avoid assuming universal Android exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Apply OEM firmware updates covering the April 2023 Android Security Bulletin.
- Confirm vendor SoC security patches include CVE-2021-0882.
- Prioritize managed Android devices using PowerVR graphics drivers.
- Restrict untrusted app installation where patching is delayed.
- Replace or isolate unsupported devices that cannot receive vendor fixes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices, SoC families, GPU drivers, and patch levels.
- Check OEM advisories for CVE-2021-0882 coverage on each device model.
- Verify Android security patch level against vendor fixed releases.
- Review MDM data for devices blocked from current firmware updates.
- Document exceptions where device applicability cannot be confirmed.
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-2021-0882 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.