Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-39801 is an Android kernel issue in the ION ioctl path. A local attacker could potentially exploit a use-after-free condition caused by improper locking to gain higher privileges on an affected Android device. Public source data does not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a device hygiene and patch-management issue. It is not evidenced as actively exploited, but kernel privilege escalation can increase impact after an initial compromise. Prioritize outdated Android fleets.
Technical view
The flaw is in ion_ioctl in ion-ioctl.c. The reported root cause is improper locking leading to a possible use-after-free. Impact is local escalation of privilege on Android kernel builds, with no additional execution privileges and no user interaction required according to the CVE description.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Android devices running affected Android kernel implementations. Risk is most relevant where devices are missing the Android security updates or OEM kernel fixes associated with the April 2022 bulletin.
Exploitation context
The bundle marks this CVE as not in KEV, and no cited source states active exploitation. The issue is local privilege escalation, so an attacker would need local code execution or a foothold on the device first.
Researcher notes
Public detail in the bundle is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, commit identifier, or exploit evidence is provided. Validate exposure against Android and OEM kernel advisories rather than assuming all Android devices are affected equally.
Mitigation direction
- Check Android and OEM guidance for CVE-2021-39801.
- Apply relevant Android kernel security updates for affected devices.
- Prioritize unmanaged, outdated, or high-risk Android fleets.
- Retire devices no longer receiving OEM security updates.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices and recorded security patch levels.
- Confirm whether OEM bulletins list CVE-2021-39801 as fixed.
- Review MDM compliance for overdue Android security updates.
- Track exceptions for unsupported or unpatchable devices.
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-2021-39801 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/2022-04-01CVE 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.