CVE-2026-20509 in MT2718
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2026
In Power HAL, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege if a malicious actor has already obtained the System privilege. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11165543; Issue ID: MSV-9011.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2026
The vulnerability identified under issue identifier MSV-9011 and addressed by patch ALPS11165543 resides within the Power Hardware Abstraction Layer, a critical component of Android-based operating systems that manages power-related hardware interactions such as battery monitoring, charging control, and system state transitions. This specific flaw is classified as an out-of-bounds write resulting from a missing bounds check in memory management operations. In software engineering terms, this represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where the application fails to validate whether data being written to a memory location falls within the allocated boundaries of that memory segment. When such validation is absent, maliciously crafted inputs or internal logic errors can cause writes to occur outside the intended memory space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory structures including function pointers, return addresses, or other critical control data.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-787, which designates out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The absence of proper index validation allows an attacker to manipulate the heap or stack layout in ways that compromise memory integrity. While many buffer overflow exploits require complex exploitation techniques involving shellcode injection and address space layout randomization bypasses, this particular vulnerability is notable for its potential simplicity if triggered correctly within the context of the Power HAL service. The lack of boundary verification means that any process capable of invoking the affected function with crafted parameters can potentially corrupt memory structures essential to system stability or security enforcement mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on local privilege escalation, specifically allowing a threat actor who has already achieved System-level privileges to further compromise the device's integrity. In Android architecture, the System user ID typically corresponds to processes running under the root-like context with extensive permissions but without full kernel access. By exploiting this out-of-bounds write, an attacker could potentially bypass additional security controls enforced by higher-privilege services or modify critical system configurations that are normally protected from modification even by system-level applications. This effectively allows for a lateral movement within the privilege hierarchy, enabling actions such as disabling security features, modifying persistent storage data without detection, or establishing persistence mechanisms that survive reboots and factory resets if memory corruption affects boot-critical structures.
The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of exploitation under techniques related to process injection and defense evasion, specifically mapping to T1055 Process Injection when the vulnerability is used to execute arbitrary code within a privileged process context. Additionally, it relates to T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation as the primary goal involves gaining higher-level access than initially possessed. The fact that user interaction is not required significantly increases the risk profile of this vulnerability. It implies that remote or automated attacks are feasible if an attacker can trigger the vulnerable code path through network-facing services, background processes, or compromised applications with system permissions. This eliminates social engineering as a necessary prerequisite for exploitation, making it suitable for worm-like propagation scenarios within trusted networks where initial access has been established.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense is the application of the provided patch ALPS11165543 which corrects the missing bounds check by implementing rigorous input validation before any memory write operations occur within the Power HAL module. Developers should ensure that all array indices, buffer sizes, and pointer arithmetic are validated against known limits using standard library functions or explicit conditional checks. Beyond immediate remediation, adopting secure coding practices such as static application security testing to detect similar patterns in other hardware abstraction layers is recommended. Furthermore, enabling memory protection features like Address Space Layout Randomization and stack canaries at the compiler level provides an additional layer of defense that makes exploitation significantly more difficult even if a bounds check failure occurs. Regular auditing of native code components for buffer management errors remains essential given their prevalence in low-level system services.