CVE-2026-55302 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
In multiple locations, there is a possible permission bypass due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical security flaw characterized by a logical error within the application's access control mechanisms, resulting in an unauthorized permission bypass. Unlike vulnerabilities that stem from buffer overflows or memory corruption issues common in lower-level languages like C or C++, this defect arises from flawed decision-making logic embedded directly into the software architecture. The core issue lies in how the system evaluates user roles and permissions during specific operations. When a request is processed, the application fails to correctly validate whether the initiating entity possesses the requisite privileges for the targeted action. This oversight allows an attacker who has already gained initial access to the system to manipulate inputs or exploit state management flaws to trick the authorization module into granting elevated rights that were not originally assigned.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, specifically enabling local privilege escalation to System-level execution privileges. In most operating environments, particularly those based on Windows architecture where such terminology is prevalent, achieving SYSTEM status grants absolute control over the machine. This level of access allows an attacker to install programs, view, change, or delete any file, and modify unrestricted security settings for the entire system. Because user interaction is not required for exploitation, the attack vector is fully remote if initial network-level access exists, or trivially exploitable by any local non-privileged user account that can execute code on the target machine. This lack of a human-in-the-loop requirement significantly lowers the barrier to entry for attackers and increases the likelihood of successful compromise in automated attacks or worm-like propagation scenarios.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management. More specifically, it reflects weaknesses often categorized under CWE-862, Missing Authorization, where the software does not perform sufficient checks to ensure proper authorization before allowing access to resources or functions. In terms of offensive security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this flaw facilitates techniques associated with Local Privilege Escalation (T1068). Attackers leverage these logic errors to transition from a low-privileged user context to a high-privileged one, often using the gained SYSTEM access to establish persistence, dump credentials stored in memory or on disk, and pivot laterally across the network. The absence of required user interaction places this within passive exploitation vectors, making it particularly dangerous against systems with automated maintenance tasks or services running under standard user accounts that interact with untrusted inputs.
Mitigation strategies for this type of logic-based permission bypass require a multi-layered approach focusing on code review and architectural hardening. Developers must implement strict principle-of-least-privilege models where every function call explicitly verifies the caller's identity and permissions before execution. This involves centralizing access control checks rather than scattering them throughout various modules, which reduces the risk of inconsistent enforcement due to logic errors. Input validation should be rigorous, ensuring that all parameters influencing authorization decisions are sanitized and verified against a trusted allow-list. Additionally, implementing comprehensive logging for privilege-related operations can aid in detecting anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. For immediate remediation, applying vendor-provided patches is essential as they typically contain corrected logical checks or enhanced security filters designed to close the specific gap identified in this vulnerability assessment.