CVE-2026-58828 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
In multiple functions of base.c, there is a possible use-after-free due to a race condition. 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 • 11/02/2026
The vulnerability identified in the base.c module represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper synchronization mechanisms during memory management operations. Specifically, this issue manifests as a use-after-free condition triggered by a race condition within multiple functions of the file. In concurrent programming environments, when two or more threads access shared data without proper locking or atomicity guarantees, unpredictable behavior can occur. In this specific context, one thread may free a block of memory while another thread is still holding a reference to that same memory address and attempting to read from or write to it. This classic race condition arises because the check for whether an object is in use and the subsequent freeing of that object are not performed as atomic operations, allowing a window of opportunity where stale pointers remain valid despite the underlying memory being deallocated back to the system allocator.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-416, which describes Use After Free vulnerabilities. The core issue lies in the lifecycle management of dynamically allocated resources within the kernel or base library space. When an object is freed, its memory region becomes available for reallocation by other parts of the system. If the original pointer to that object is not immediately nullified and if concurrent access is possible without synchronization primitives such as mutexes, spinlocks, or reference counting mechanisms, a subsequent dereference will operate on potentially corrupted data. This corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service through kernel panics, or information disclosure depending on how the freed memory is subsequently utilized by other processes or system components. The presence of this flaw in multiple functions suggests a systemic design oversight regarding thread safety and resource lifecycle management within that specific module.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for local privilege escalation. An attacker who gains access to the affected system, even with minimal initial privileges such as those granted to a standard unprivileged user account, can exploit this race condition to manipulate kernel memory structures or critical data paths. Because no additional execution privileges are required and no user interaction is needed, the attack vector is highly accessible. The absence of user interaction means that automated exploitation tools could potentially leverage this flaw without requiring social engineering tactics like phishing links or malicious file uploads initiated by a human operator. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for attackers seeking to compromise system integrity.
Furthermore, the ability to escalate privileges locally implies that an attacker can transition from a low-privilege context to one with administrative rights, such as root on Linux systems or SYSTEM on Windows environments. Once elevated privileges are obtained, the attacker gains full control over the operating system, enabling them to install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data, modify security configurations, and pivot to other assets within the network. This aligns with several techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and potentially T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter if further actions are taken post-exploitation. The lack of required user interaction also relates to aspects of initial access or persistence mechanisms that rely on automated scripts rather than manual intervention.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term architectural improvements. The primary remediation is the application of vendor-provided security patches that address this specific race condition in base.c. These updates typically involve introducing proper synchronization primitives to ensure that memory deallocation checks are atomic with respect to access operations. Developers should implement reference counting mechanisms or use lock-free data structures where appropriate to prevent concurrent modification issues. Additionally, employing static analysis tools and dynamic testing frameworks during the software development lifecycle can help identify similar race conditions before deployment. For system administrators, ensuring timely patch management is crucial to closing this window of vulnerability. Monitoring for unusual privilege escalation attempts or anomalous memory access patterns via endpoint detection and response solutions may also provide early warning indicators of exploitation activity in environments where patches have not yet been applied.