CVE-2026-58773 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
In link_load_gnss_image of link_device.c, there is a possible out-of-bounds write due to a missing bounds check. 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 identified in the link_load_gnss_image function within the link_device.c source file represents a critical memory safety defect characterized by an out-of-bounds write condition. This flaw stems from a fundamental failure to implement adequate bounds checking when processing input data or managing internal buffers associated with Global Navigation Satellite System image loading operations. In embedded systems and networked devices, such functions are often responsible for parsing complex binary formats or configuration files that dictate hardware behavior. When the application fails to validate the length of incoming data against the allocated buffer size before performing write operations, it allows an attacker to supply crafted input that exceeds the intended memory boundaries. This lack of validation is a classic instance of CWE-787, which classifies out-of-bounds writes as a severe category of memory corruption vulnerabilities where data is written beyond the allocated limit for a buffer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for local privilege escalation. Because the function operates with system execution privileges, any successful exploitation allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory structures that may contain control flow information, such as return addresses or function pointers on the stack or heap. By carefully crafting the payload, a malicious actor can manipulate these overwritten values to redirect program execution to arbitrary code of their choosing. This effectively bypasses standard security controls and grants the attacker full administrative access to the underlying operating system. The requirement for local access implies that an adversary must already have some level of foothold on the device or network segment, but once inside, the lack of user interaction makes exploitation straightforward and highly reliable.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and code execution. Specifically, it facilitates lateral movement within a trusted environment by allowing an unprivileged process to gain elevated rights without detection through standard audit logs if logging is not comprehensive. The absence of user interaction further exacerbates the risk, as automated scripts or background processes could inadvertently trigger the vulnerable function with malicious payloads, leading to silent compromise. This characteristic makes it particularly dangerous in IoT devices or industrial control systems where automatic updates or data synchronization might invoke such functions without direct human oversight.
Mitigation strategies must focus on rigorous input validation and memory safety practices at the source code level. Developers should implement strict length checks before any write operation occurs, ensuring that the size of the incoming GNSS image data does not exceed the pre-allocated buffer capacity. Utilizing safer string handling libraries or compiler-enforced bounds checking features can help prevent such errors during development. Additionally, enabling runtime protection mechanisms such as Stack Canaries, Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) can mitigate the exploitability of this vulnerability by making it significantly harder to achieve reliable code execution even if an out-of-bounds write occurs. Regular static analysis scanning for CWE-787 patterns is also recommended to identify similar flaws across the codebase before deployment.