CVE-2026-28617 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 09/08/2026
In add of WifiNetworkSuggestionsManager.java, there is a possible persistent DOS due to resource exhaustion. This could lead to local denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified in the WifiNetworkSuggestionsManager component represents a critical flaw within the Android operating system's network management subsystem, specifically affecting how Wi-Fi network suggestions are processed and stored. This issue manifests as a persistent denial of service condition resulting from resource exhaustion. The core technical failure lies in the application's inability to properly validate or limit the volume of network suggestion requests that can be submitted by an attacker. By repeatedly invoking the relevant APIs without adhering to expected rate limits or storage constraints, a malicious actor can force the system to allocate excessive memory and processing resources for maintaining these invalid or malformed suggestions. This uncontrolled resource consumption eventually depletes available system buffers or exceeds internal thresholds, causing the WifiNetworkSuggestionsManager service to crash or become unresponsive.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability allows for local denial of service without requiring any additional execution privileges beyond those typically granted to standard applications on a rooted device or within a compromised user space context. The severity is compounded by the fact that no user interaction is required to exploit this flaw. An attacker who has gained access to the application layer can automate the exploitation process, triggering the resource exhaustion remotely if network interfaces are exposed or locally through malicious apps installed with minimal permissions. This leads to significant disruption in Wi-Fi connectivity and stability for the device owner, as the system may need to be rebooted to restore normal functionality of the wireless networking stack.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-400, which describes uncontrolled resource consumption leading to denial of service conditions. It also maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Resource Hijacking and Denial of Service at the host level, specifically within the context of Android application behavior where an app abuses system services for disruptive purposes. The lack of user interaction makes this particularly dangerous in scenarios involving malware that operates silently in the background, potentially targeting enterprise devices or IoT systems managed by automated scripts rather than human operators.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict rate limiting and input validation within the WifiNetworkSuggestionsManager codebase to prevent excessive accumulation of network suggestions. Developers must enforce quotas on the number of active suggestions per application and implement garbage collection mechanisms that efficiently reclaim resources from stale or invalid entries. Additionally, introducing monitoring for abnormal spikes in API calls can help detect and block exploitation attempts before they lead to resource exhaustion. System administrators should ensure devices are updated with patches addressing this specific flaw in the Android framework, as vendor-specific implementations often require targeted fixes to restore robustness against such abuse vectors.