CVE-2018-9464
Published: 18 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2018-9464 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125) vulnerability in Google Android. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 6.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2018-9464 involves a missing permission check in multiple locations that enables reading protected files, stemming from CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read). This vulnerability affects Android Pixel devices, as detailed in the associated security bulletin. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high impact potential from local access.
A local attacker with low privileges (PR:L) can exploit this issue without requiring user interaction or additional execution privileges. Successful exploitation leads to local escalation of privilege, allowing high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts through unauthorized access to protected files.
The Android Pixel security bulletin at https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-08-01 provides patch information and mitigation guidance for affected devices.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2018-21058
Vulnerability details
In multiple locations, there is a possible way to read protected files due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Missing permission check enables unauthorized local file reads (T1005) and direct local privilege escalation (T1068) on affected devices.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
AC-3 mandates enforcement of approved authorizations for access to system resources like protected files, directly addressing the missing permission check exploited in this CVE.
AC-25 requires a reference monitor to mediate all access attempts and enforce policy, mitigating the lack of permission checks that enable unauthorized file reads.
AC-6 enforces least privilege to limit low-privilege attackers' access to protected files, reducing the potential for escalation even if checks are bypassed.