CVE-2018-9352
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an integer overflow vulnerability in the ihevcd_allocate_dynamic_bufs function of Android's HEVC decoder. An attacker could trigger resource exhaustion leading to denial of service by sending a specially crafted media file. Users of affected Android devices who process untrusted media content are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android OS
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote denial of service causing device instability or crashes, potentially requiring reboot to restore functionality.
Likely Case
Application crashes when processing malicious media files, disrupting media playback functionality.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if untrusted media files are blocked.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction (opening malicious media file). No authentication needed but requires social engineering to deliver payload.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security patch level 2018-06-05 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install the June 2018 Android security patch. 3. Reboot device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable HEVC media processing
androidPrevent applications from processing HEVC/H.265 media files
Use trusted media sources only
allConfigure devices to only accept media from trusted sources
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices from untrusted networks
- Implement application whitelisting to restrict media processing apps
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android version and security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android versionCheck Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows 2018-06-05 or later📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in media processing apps
- Kernel panic logs related to memory exhaustion
Network Indicators:
- Unusual media file downloads from untrusted sources
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND ("ihevcd" OR "HEVC" OR "video decoder") AND ("crash" OR "panic" OR "OOM")