CVE-2026-59005 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
In insertInternal of MmsProvider.java, there is a possible multiuser isolation issue due to a missing permission check. 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 Android MediaStore provider, specifically within the insertInternal method of MmsProvider.java, represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms designed to enforce multi-user isolation on mobile operating systems. This flaw stems from an omission in permission verification logic during media insertion operations. In modern Android environments, where multiple user profiles can coexist with varying levels of privilege and data separation, the integrity of these boundaries is paramount for maintaining system security. The absence of a required permission check allows any application or process to interact with MMS-related content providers without adequate authorization validation, effectively bypassing the sandbox restrictions intended to isolate user data from one another.
From a technical perspective, this issue classifies as an improper access control vulnerability where the software does not properly verify permissions before performing actions on protected resources. This aligns closely with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Management, and more specifically CWE-732 in contexts involving insufficient isolation between users or processes. The core technical flaw lies in the code path that handles incoming media insertions; instead of validating whether the calling entity possesses the necessary android.permission.WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE or equivalent internal permissions to modify MMS data structures, the method proceeds with the operation. This oversight creates a direct pathway for unauthorized modification or creation of content within the shared storage space managed by the MediaStore provider.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for local privilege escalation and cross-user data compromise. An attacker can exploit this flaw without requiring user interaction, such as clicking a malicious link or installing an app with explicit permissions that would normally trigger permission dialogs. By leveraging this missing check, a low-privileged application can write arbitrary media files into directories associated with other users on the device. This capability undermines the fundamental security model of multi-user isolation, potentially allowing sensitive personal data from one user profile to be accessed by another. Furthermore, if these inserted media items are processed or displayed by system services running at higher privilege levels, it could facilitate further exploitation chains leading to full system compromise.
In terms of threat modeling and attack vectors, this vulnerability maps directly to the ATT&CK technique T1530, which covers Data from Information Repositories on Local Systems. The attacker utilizes local application execution privileges to access and manipulate data stored in a centralized repository (the MediaStore). Since no additional execution privileges are needed beyond those granted to any installed app, the barrier for entry is exceptionally low. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in shared device environments or enterprise settings where multiple users might share a single physical device with separate profiles. The lack of user interaction requirement also means that background processes or automated scripts could exploit this flaw silently, making detection and prevention difficult without strict monitoring of file system operations.
Mitigation strategies must focus on restoring the missing access control checks within the MmsProvider codebase. Developers should implement rigorous permission verification using Context.checkCallingPermission() or equivalent internal security methods before allowing any write operations to proceed. Additionally, enforcing stricter validation of input parameters and ensuring that all media insertion paths respect user-specific isolation boundaries is essential. For system integrators and device manufacturers, applying vendor patches that address this specific code path in the Android framework is critical. Until such updates are deployed, limiting app permissions through strict policy enforcement or using containerization solutions to isolate high-risk applications can help reduce the attack surface. Regular security audits of provider implementations against CWE standards will also help identify similar oversights in other system components before they can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to escalate privileges or exfiltrate sensitive user data across isolation boundaries.