CVE-2026-107029 in Pile
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
Insecure permissions in rubenalfon Pile v1.1.3 allows unauthorized attackers to invoke an exported component, leading to arbitrary data access and overwriting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified in rubenalfon Pile version 1.1.3 stems from a fundamental misconfiguration of Android application permissions regarding exported components. In the Android operating system architecture, activities, services, broadcast receivers, and content providers can be declared as exported, meaning they are accessible to other applications installed on the same device. When an exported component is not properly secured with appropriate permission checks or authentication mechanisms, it becomes a vector for unauthorized access. The specific flaw in this version of Pile involves components that expose sensitive functionality without restricting invocation to trusted sources only. This lack of enforcement allows any application running on the device to interact directly with these internal interfaces, bypassing intended security boundaries established by the developer.
From a technical perspective, this issue represents an insecure direct object reference combined with improper access control. Attackers can craft malicious intents or broadcast messages that target the exported components of Pile v1.1.3. Because the component does not verify the identity or privileges of the calling application, it processes these requests as if they originated from legitimate internal operations. This architectural weakness enables arbitrary data access, where an attacker can query content providers to retrieve stored files, preferences, or database entries that were intended to remain private. Furthermore, the ability to overwrite data indicates that write permissions are also exposed, allowing malicious actors to modify critical application state, inject false information, or corrupt user-generated content without detection by standard system security checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for users who rely on Pile for organizing and storing personal files such as images, documents, or notes. Unauthorized data access compromises the confidentiality of sensitive materials that may include private photographs, financial records, or confidential work documents. The capability to overwrite data introduces integrity risks, potentially leading to loss of important information through accidental deletion by malicious apps or deliberate corruption. In a broader security context, this flaw aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management and CWE-732 Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource from the Common Weakness Enumeration standards. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1550.004 Use Alternate Authentication Credentials if the exported component facilitates login bypass, or more accurately T1005 Data from Local System for data exfiltration and T1562 Impair Defenses if it allows disabling security features within the app environment.
Mitigation strategies must focus on tightening the Android manifest configuration and implementing runtime checks. The primary remediation is to set android:exported="false" for all components that do not need to be accessed by external applications, thereby restricting access to the application's own process only. For components that legitimately require inter-app communication, developers should implement strict permission verification using Context.checkCallingPermission() or signature-based checks via checkCallingUid(). Additionally, implementing ContentProvider security through URI permissions and ensuring that sensitive operations are protected with user authentication can further reduce the attack surface. Regular static analysis of Android manifests during the development lifecycle is essential to detect such misconfigurations before deployment, ensuring compliance with secure coding practices for mobile platforms.