CVE-2026-21105 in Collection
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Improper access control in Collection prior to version 1.0.1.14 in Android 15 and 2.0.02.7 in Android 16 allows local attackers to access sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as an improper access control flaw within the Android Collections component represents a critical security deficiency that persists across specific versions of the Android operating system, namely prior to version 1.0.1.14 in Android 15 and prior to version 2.0.02.7 in Android 16. This issue stems from an inadequate enforcement mechanism within the underlying data handling subsystems responsible for managing collections of objects or data structures. In a properly secured environment, access controls must strictly verify that any entity requesting interaction with sensitive data possesses the necessary privileges and permissions defined by the system security policy. However, in these affected versions, the validation logic fails to adequately restrict local application contexts from accessing internal collection states or contents that are intended to be private to specific processes or privileged services. This breakdown in access control allows a malicious actor operating within the same device environment to bypass standard permission checks and retrieve data that should remain isolated.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management, specifically where an application does not properly restrict permissions for capabilities or roles. The vulnerability likely manifests through APIs or internal interfaces used by the Android framework to manage collections of system data, such as user profiles, cached credentials, or sensitive configuration parameters. When a local attacker exploits this weakness, they can invoke these collection methods without holding the requisite signature-level or privileged permissions that would normally be enforced by the package manager and security subsystems. The absence of rigorous checks on the caller identity allows unauthorized read operations to proceed, effectively turning internal data structures into publicly accessible resources for any application running with local execution privileges. This is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where multiple applications often run under shared user IDs or when exploiting sandbox escape techniques to gain broader access than intended.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, as it facilitates the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored within the Android system's memory space. Local attackers can leverage this flaw to extract personal identifiable information, authentication tokens, session cookies, or other confidential data that applications and services store in collections for efficient processing. The ability to access such data without detection undermines the fundamental trust model of the mobile operating system, where apps are expected to be isolated from one another unless explicitly permitted by the user or system policies. This exposure can lead to further compromise scenarios, including account takeover through stolen session tokens, identity theft via extracted personal details, or reconnaissance activities that aid in crafting more sophisticated attacks against specific users or services hosted on the device. The lack of immediate detection mechanisms means this data exfiltration could occur over extended periods without alerting security monitoring tools integrated into the OS.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating the Android operating system to include patches released after version 1.0.1.14 for Android 15 and version 2.0.02.7 for Android 16, which address these access control deficiencies by enforcing stricter permission checks on collection-related API calls. For developers building applications that interact with these components, it is crucial to ensure that all data handling routines adhere to the principle of least privilege and validate caller permissions explicitly before processing sensitive collections. Security architects should also implement runtime application self-protection mechanisms where feasible to detect anomalous access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Furthermore, regular security audits focusing on CWE-269 scenarios in system-level code can help identify similar weaknesses before they are deployed into production environments. Organizations relying on these Android versions must prioritize patch management cycles to ensure that devices remain protected against local privilege escalation and data exfiltration attacks facilitated by this specific implementation flaw.