CVE-2018-9425 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Platform, there is a possible bypass of user interaction requirements due to missing permission checks. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-73884967
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-9425 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Android platform that undermines fundamental security controls designed to prevent unauthorized system access. This issue resides in the platform's permission checking mechanisms, specifically targeting the validation processes that should enforce user interaction requirements before allowing certain privileged operations to proceed. The vulnerability's classification as a local privilege escalation means that an attacker with minimal initial access can potentially elevate their privileges to system-level access without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction, which significantly amplifies the potential impact of exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests in the absence of proper permission validation checks within the platform's security architecture, creating a gap where malicious code can bypass the normal user interaction requirements that typically serve as a critical security barrier. This missing validation allows for direct privilege escalation without the need for user consent or explicit interaction, which violates core security principles established in the Android security model. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require any user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered automatically without any human intervention, potentially allowing for silent privilege escalation attacks that could go undetected for extended periods.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a severe threat to Android device security as it enables attackers to gain system-level privileges without the traditional safeguards that would normally prevent such escalation. The lack of user interaction requirements means that malicious applications or code could exploit this flaw immediately upon installation or during runtime without requiring any user prompts or confirmations. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to attackers who seek to establish persistent access to devices, as it allows for automated exploitation that can be integrated into various attack frameworks and malware distributions.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classification for insufficient verification of permissions, which falls under CWE-284, Access Control. The flaw demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where the system should have required explicit user verification or additional authentication before allowing privilege escalation. This weakness creates an attack surface that directly contradicts the Android security model's design principles and could be leveraged for various malicious activities including data exfiltration, system modification, or persistent backdoor establishment. The vulnerability's presence in Android 10 and earlier versions indicates a long-standing issue that could have affected millions of devices, making it a prime target for exploitation by threat actors seeking to compromise Android-based systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper permission validation mechanisms and ensuring that all privilege escalation paths require appropriate authentication or user verification. System administrators and developers should prioritize applying the relevant security patches provided by Google and other vendors to address the missing permission checks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing runtime monitoring and behavioral analysis to detect anomalous privilege escalation attempts that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix should involve strengthening the platform's permission verification processes to ensure that all privilege escalation operations require proper authorization checks, which aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques that emphasize the importance of access control validation in preventing unauthorized system access.