CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-46139 — KernelSU is a Kernel based root solution for Android

Medium CVSS 5.7

KernelSU is a Kernel based root solution for Android. Starting in version 0.6.1 and prior to version 0.7.0, if a KernelSU installed device is infected with a malware whose app signing block specially constructed, it can take over root privileges on the device. The vulnerable verification logic actually obtains the signature of the last block with an id of `0x7109871a`, while the verification logic during Android installation is to obtain the first one. In addition to the actual signature upgrade that has been fixed (KSU thought it was V2 but was actually V3), there is also the problem of actual signature downgrading (KSU thought it was V2 but was actually V1). Find a condition in the signature verification logic that will cause the signature not to be found error, and KernelSU does not implement the same conditions, so KSU thinks there is a V2 signature, but the APK signature verification actually uses the V1 signature. This issue is fixed in version 0.7.0. As workarounds, keep the KernelSU manager installed and avoid installing unknown apps.

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.7 (3.1)
Published
2023-10-31
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-863

Affected products

  • kernelsu / kernelsu

Matched remediation archetype

Authorization bypass, IDOR, and cross-tenant access

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Check exposure

  • Map object and action authorization checks across API, UI, batch, import/export, and background-job paths.
  • Identify tenant, ownership, role, and policy boundaries for affected resources and administrative operations.
  • Use synthetic fixtures to compare intended access matrices without accessing another user's real data.

Remediate safely

  • Enforce server-side authorization at each resource access and state transition using the authenticated principal and trusted tenant context.
  • Scope data queries by tenant and ownership; treat client-supplied identifiers, roles, and policy claims as untrusted.
  • Add deny-by-default policy tests for horizontal and vertical access across every affected transport.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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