CVE-2018-9375
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-9375 is a confused deputy vulnerability in Android's UserDictionaryProvider that allows malicious apps to add or delete words from the user dictionary without proper permissions. This could lead to local privilege escalation without requiring user interaction. Affects Android devices with vulnerable versions of the operating system.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could manipulate the user dictionary to interfere with text prediction, autocorrect, or potentially chain with other vulnerabilities for further system compromise.
Likely Case
Malicious apps could silently modify user dictionary entries, potentially disrupting user experience or enabling targeted phishing through autocorrect manipulation.
If Mitigated
With proper app sandboxing and security updates, the risk is limited to dictionary manipulation without broader system access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires a malicious app to be installed on the device. No user interaction needed for exploitation once app is installed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level 2018-06-05 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Apply the June 2018 Android security patch. 2. Update affected devices to Android Security Patch Level 2018-06-05 or later. 3. For Pixel devices, install the factory image or OTA update from Google.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable User Dictionary
AndroidTurn off personal dictionary features to reduce attack surface
Navigate to Settings > System > Languages & input > Personal dictionary and disable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict installation of untrusted applications from unknown sources
- Implement mobile device management (MDM) to control app installation
🔍 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 is 2018-06-05 or later in Settings > About phone > Android security patch level📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual UserDictionaryProvider activity logs
- Multiple dictionary modifications from non-system apps
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Look for UserDictionaryProvider intent calls from non-system packages in Android logs