CVE-2023-35674 — Android Framework Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

In onCreate of WindowState.java, there is a possible way to launch a background activity due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

01What is this vulnerability?

In onCreate of WindowState.java, there is a possible way to launch a background activity due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
Google	Android	13, 12L, 12, 11

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2023-09-13. Ransomware use: Unknown.

04Recommended remediation

• Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
• Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
• Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.

05Technical details

For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.

06Detection signatures

Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:

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07Related CVEs

No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.

08Timeline

• Published: 2023-09-11T20:09:53.580Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:05:38.736Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2023-09-13
• BOD 22-01 due: 2023-10-04

09References

• android.googlesource.com — https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/7428962d3b064ce11228…
• source.android.com — https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2023-09-01