CVE-2026-59008 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
In setApplicationRestrictions of DevicePolicyManagerService.java, there is a possible denial of service due to resource exhaustion. This could lead to local denial of service 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 operating system's DevicePolicyManagerService involves a critical flaw within the setApplicationRestrictions method, specifically located in the DevicePolicyManagerService.java file. This component serves as a central hub for managing device policies and application restrictions enforced by enterprise management solutions or administrative applications. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation of input parameters related to resource allocation during the processing of restriction sets. When an attacker provides malformed or excessively large data structures, the system fails to properly bound the resources consumed during parsing and storage operations. This lack of rigorous boundary checking allows for a scenario where the service can be forced into an infinite loop or allocate memory beyond its designated limits without triggering appropriate error handling mechanisms that would normally terminate the operation gracefully.
From a technical perspective, this flaw represents a classic case of resource exhaustion leading to a denial of service condition. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-400, which describes conditions where resources are not properly controlled, resulting in their consumption until none remain available. In the context of Android's architecture, DevicePolicyManagerService operates with elevated privileges as part of the system server process. Consequently, when this specific method processes untrusted or maliciously crafted input from a local application that has been granted device administrator permissions, it can trigger excessive CPU usage or memory allocation spikes. The absence of strict limits on the size or complexity of the restriction data allows an attacker to systematically drain system resources, causing the service to become unresponsive or crash entirely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for both enterprise environments and general users relying on device management features. Since exploitation requires no additional execution privileges beyond what a standard application might possess if it holds device admin rights, the attack surface is relatively broad within managed devices. Furthermore, user interaction is not required to trigger the exploit once an attacker has established access through a compromised or maliciously installed administrative app. This means that background processes can silently degrade system performance or cause complete service failure without any visible indication to the end-user until the device becomes unusable. The resulting denial of service effectively disables critical security controls and management capabilities, leaving the device vulnerable to further exploitation or simply rendering it inoperable for its intended purpose.
Mitigation strategies must focus on strengthening input validation and resource limits within the DevicePolicyManagerService implementation. Developers should implement strict size constraints on all incoming restriction data structures to prevent excessive memory allocation. Additionally, introducing timeout mechanisms and circuit breakers can help detect and abort operations that consume resources abnormally quickly or for extended periods. Regular code audits focusing on CWE-400 patterns are essential to identify similar flaws in other system services. For administrators, it is crucial to restrict device administrator privileges only to trusted applications and keep the operating system updated with the latest security patches provided by vendors, which typically include fixes for such resource management vulnerabilities. Monitoring tools should also be configured to alert on unusual spikes in CPU or memory usage associated with DevicePolicyManagerService activity.