CVE-2026-49887 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 09/08/2026
In maybeRemoveInvalidInstallerPackageName of InstallRepository.kt, there is a possible unauthorized app update due to a permissions bypass. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2026
The vulnerability identified within the maybeRemoveInvalidInstallerPackageName function in InstallRepository.kt represents a critical security flaw rooted in insufficient access control mechanisms during the application installation and update lifecycle. This specific code path, which appears to be part of an Android-based system or privileged service responsible for managing package installations, fails to adequately validate the permissions associated with incoming installer requests before proceeding with removal operations on existing packages. The core technical issue lies in a logic error where the function does not strictly enforce that only authorized entities possessing the necessary signature verification or elevated system privileges can initiate changes to installed application metadata. By bypassing these expected permission checks, an attacker who has achieved local code execution within a lower-privileged context can manipulate this routine to alter package states without triggering standard security gates. This flaw effectively allows for unauthorized modifications to the installation repository, creating a pathway for privilege escalation that does not require additional execution privileges beyond what is already available in the compromised low-level environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables local escalation of privilege by allowing malicious actors to tamper with installed applications or their associated metadata without user interaction. The absence of required user consent significantly lowers the barrier for exploitation, as remote attackers or malware operating within a sandboxed application can trigger these conditions silently in the background. By exploiting the permissions bypass, an adversary could potentially replace legitimate installer package names with malicious ones, leading to unauthorized app updates that may install backdoors, spyware, or other harmful payloads under the guise of routine system maintenance. This undermines the integrity of the device's software supply chain and compromises user trust, as critical security controls designed to prevent tampering are rendered ineffective by this logic flaw. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation; it facilitates persistent access and potential data exfiltration through compromised application binaries that have been silently updated or replaced via this unauthorized channel.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management, specifically highlighting cases where an actor is able to perform actions without having the proper permissions. Furthermore, it maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1055, Process Injection and related privilege escalation vectors such as T1055.012, particularly in contexts involving Android package manipulation or service exploitation like T1564. The failure to validate authority before modifying system state is a classic indicator of weak access control enforcement within the application layer. To mitigate this risk, developers must implement strict permission checks at the entry points of sensitive functions like maybeRemoveInvalidInstallerPackageName. This involves verifying that the calling process holds the required android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES or equivalent elevated privileges and ensuring signature verification matches expected system signatures before any package removal or update logic is executed. Additionally, implementing robust input validation to ensure that only valid, non-malicious package names are processed can further reduce the attack surface. Regular security audits focusing on permission boundaries in installation repositories and enforcing least-privilege principles for all background services will help prevent similar bypasses in future iterations of the software.