CVE-2018-9470
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-9470 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Android's Scanner.c that allows remote privilege escalation. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into interacting with malicious content, potentially gaining elevated privileges on affected devices. This affects Android devices running vulnerable versions.
💻 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
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote attacker gains full system control over Android device, potentially installing persistent malware, accessing sensitive data, or bricking the device.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing unprivileged apps to gain system-level permissions, potentially leading to data theft or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper app sandboxing and security updates applied; exploitation would be contained within app boundaries.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious content). Multiple proof-of-concepts exist in security research repositories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level 2018-09-01 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-09-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install September 2018 or later Android security patch. 3. Reboot device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable scanner components
androidTemporarily disable affected scanner functionality through developer options
adb shell pm disable com.android.scanner
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict app installations to Google Play Store only
- Implement mobile device management (MDM) with strict app whitelisting
🔍 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 'September 1, 2018' or later in Settings > About phone📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected process privilege escalation
- Scanner service crashes
- SELinux denials related to scanner processes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from system processes
- Suspicious app behavior patterns
SIEM Query:
process:scanner AND (privilege_escalation OR out_of_bounds_write)