MediumCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Insufficient validation of untrusted input in Chrome for Android Intents

IdentifiersCVE-2021-38000CWE-20· Improper Input Validation

CVE-2021-38000 is an input validation flaw in the handling of Android Intents in Google Chrome on Android prior to 95.0.4638.69. According to the provided content, Chrome performed insufficient validation of untrusted input associated with Intents, allowing a remote attacker to cause the browser to navigate arbitrarily to a malicious URL by means of a crafted HTML page. Google reported that exploitation existed in the wild, and the flaw was one of several Chrome vulnerabilities used in 2021 Android-targeting exploit chains associated with Cytrox/Intellexa Predator delivery.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows a remote attacker to force Chrome on Android to browse to an attacker-controlled malicious URL. In practical exploit chains, this can be used as a redirection or browser-navigation primitive to move a victim into further attacker-controlled content and subsequent exploitation stages. The provided context also indicates the vulnerability was exploited in the wild as part of Android spyware delivery campaigns.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting use of untrusted links and attacker-controlled web content on affected Android devices, enforcing rapid browser update policies, and monitoring for signs of exploitation activity associated with malicious redirection chains. However, mitigation is only partial; vendor patching is the primary corrective action.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Update Google Chrome on Android to version 95.0.4638.69 or later. Because the issue was exploited in the wild, affected devices should be updated immediately and downstream Chromium-based Android builds should be reviewed for equivalent fixes where applicable.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

DebianDebian Linuxoperating_system

Fedora ProjectFedoraoperating_system

GoogleAndroidoperating_system

GoogleChromeapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

4 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

4 SOURCESView more in app

cyberthroneNews

Feb 17, 2026

Google Patches First Chrome Zero-Day of 2026 - TheCyberThrone

Unknown (only referenced in related content; described as having exploits in the wild).

the hacker newsNews

Dec 5, 2025

Intellexa Leaks Reveal Zero-Days and Ads-Based Vector for Predator Spyware Delivery

A vulnerability due to insufficient validation of untrusted input in Intents in Google Chrome, exploited by Predator spyware.

talosintelligence otherNews

May 25, 2023

Mercenary mayhem: A technical analysis of Intellexa's PREDATOR spyware

One of five zero-day vulnerabilities reportedly exploited in an exploit chain to deliver the ALIEN implant; affects Google Chrome.

google tag blogNews

May 19, 2022

Protecting Android users from 0-Day attacks

A Chrome zero-day vulnerability used in campaigns targeting Android users.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware2

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures3

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2021-38000

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38000

MITRE CWE · CWE-20

Improper Input Validation

Third Party Advisory

debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5046

Exploit

crbug.com/1249962

Release Notes

chromereleases.googleblog.com/2021/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_28.html

Release Notes

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3W46HRT2UVHWSLZB6JZHQF6JNQWKV744

US Government Resource

cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-38000