CVE-2018-9410
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-9410 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Android's font parsing code that allows local information disclosure without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges. This affects Android devices running vulnerable versions, potentially exposing sensitive memory contents to local attackers.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could read sensitive data from device memory, potentially exposing cryptographic keys, passwords, or other protected information.
Likely Case
Limited information disclosure of non-critical memory contents, possibly revealing some system information or application data.
If Mitigated
With proper patching, no impact as the vulnerability is fully addressed in updated versions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the device, typically through a malicious application. No user interaction is needed once the app is installed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level 2018-07-01 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-07-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install the July 2018 security patch or later. 3. Reboot the device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable font-related apps
androidRemove or disable third-party font applications that might trigger the vulnerable code path
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict installation of untrusted applications through device policies
- Implement application allowlisting to prevent malicious apps from running
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Settings > About phone > Android security patch level. If it shows a date before July 2018, the device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the Android security patch level shows 2018-07-01 or later after applying updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual font parsing errors in system logs
- Multiple font-related crashes in applications
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators as this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
No specific SIEM query as this is a local memory read vulnerability