CVE-2026-0186 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
In ac_init_one_sswrp of init.c, there is a possible escalation of privilege due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability identified within the ac_init_one_sswrp function located in the init.c source file represents a critical security flaw characterized by an internal logic error that facilitates unauthorized elevation of system authority. This specific defect allows an attacker to transition from standard user privileges to those equivalent to the System account, which typically possesses unrestricted access to all resources on the affected operating environment. The nature of this vulnerability is rooted in flawed conditional or state management logic during the initialization phase of a subsystem, likely related to secure socket wrapper operations given the function name prefix. Such errors often arise when developers fail to properly validate input parameters or mismanage internal state variables that dictate access control decisions, leading to a scenario where security checks are bypassed or incorrectly satisfied.
From an operational perspective, this logic error enables local privilege escalation without requiring any form of user interaction. This absence of required user engagement significantly lowers the barrier for exploitation, as it removes social engineering vectors such as phishing or deceptive prompts that might otherwise alert users to malicious activity. An attacker with access to a standard user account on the vulnerable system can execute code locally and leverage this flaw to gain high-level administrative rights. Once these elevated privileges are obtained, the impact is severe, encompassing the ability to read, modify, or delete any file on the system, install rootkits, create new administrator accounts, and disable security monitoring tools. The compromise of System execution privileges effectively results in a total loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability for the affected host.
In terms of industry standard classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Management, specifically where an actor is able to elevate their own privileges due to insufficient checks or logic errors within the application code. Furthermore, from a tactical standpoint relevant to threat intelligence and defense mapping, this exploit path corresponds directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1068, known as Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. Attackers frequently utilize such local exploits in the later stages of an intrusion campaign after gaining initial foothold access through other means, aiming to establish persistent control over critical infrastructure or sensitive data stores hosted on the compromised machine.
Mitigation strategies must focus primarily on software patching and code remediation. The vendor responsible for this component should release a security update that corrects the logic error within ac_init_one_sswrp by implementing rigorous input validation and ensuring that privilege checks are performed at every relevant decision point in the initialization sequence. Until patches are applied, administrators can employ defense-in-depth measures such as restricting local login capabilities to trusted personnel only, enforcing strict file system permissions to limit access to sensitive directories even if privileges were escalated, and deploying endpoint detection and response solutions configured to monitor for anomalous process creation events that indicate privilege escalation attempts. Regular auditing of user accounts and monitoring for changes in security descriptors can also help detect post-exploitation activities resulting from this vulnerability.