CVE-2018-9435
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-9435 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Android's Bluetooth GATT implementation that could allow 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 OS
📦 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
Local attacker reads sensitive memory contents from Bluetooth stack, potentially exposing cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, or other process memory data.
Likely Case
Limited information disclosure of non-sensitive Bluetooth stack memory, potentially revealing device identifiers or Bluetooth connection details.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or if Bluetooth is disabled on affected devices.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to interact with Bluetooth stack. No user interaction needed but requires Bluetooth connectivity.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level 2018-08-01 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-08-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for Android system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install August 2018 security patch or later. 3. Reboot device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Bluetooth
androidTurn off Bluetooth to prevent exploitation via this vector
adb shell settings put global bluetooth_on 0
Or manually disable in Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Bluetooth when not in use
- Restrict installation of untrusted applications
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android security patch level: Settings > About phone > Android security patch level. If earlier than 2018-08-01, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level is 2018-08-01 or later. Check Bluetooth functionality remains operational.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Bluetooth stack crashes in logcat
- Unexpected Bluetooth GATT error responses
Network Indicators:
- Unusual Bluetooth connection attempts to vulnerable devices
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND "GATT error" AND "out of bounds"