Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Android apps using Amazon AWS SDK for Android 2.8.5 or earlier may store temporary AWS Cognito credentials in plaintext SharedPreferences. If an attacker already has root-level access to the device filesystem, those credentials could be reused to make AWS requests allowed by the app’s Cognito identity permissions.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate mobile cloud-credential exposure issue. Prioritize affected apps that grant broad AWS permissions or run in environments where rooted devices are possible. The root-access prerequisite lowers urgency compared with remotely exploitable flaws.
Technical view
The CVE describes plaintext storage of AWS STS temporary credentials retrieved through AWS Cognito Identity Service by AWS SDK for Android versions up to 2.8.5. The relevant component is CognitoCachingCredentialsProvider. Exploitation requires root access to the Android filesystem, meaning normal Android app sandboxing must already be bypassed.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Android applications that include AWS SDK for Android 2.8.5 or earlier and use Cognito-backed temporary credentials. Business impact depends on the permissions granted to the associated Cognito identities and whether rooted or otherwise compromised devices are in scope.
Exploitation context
The source states an attacker must already have root privilege access to the Android filesystem. No KEV listing or provided source indicates active exploitation. The vulnerability is primarily a post-compromise credential exposure issue, not a remote initial-access flaw.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE description, AWS SDK Android API documentation, and referenced screenshots. The provided sources do not include CVSS, CWE, a named patch version, or confirmed exploitation. Avoid assuming affected products beyond AWS SDK for Android <=2.8.5.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Android apps using AWS SDK for Android 2.8.5 or earlier.
- Check AWS vendor guidance for fixed or supported SDK versions.
- Upgrade affected apps away from vulnerable SDK versions where confirmed by vendor guidance.
- Restrict Cognito IAM roles to least privilege.
- Monitor Cognito and STS activity for anomalous authenticated requests.
Validation and detection
- Review Android dependency manifests for AWS SDK for Android versions <=2.8.5.
- Confirm whether the app uses CognitoCachingCredentialsProvider or Cognito temporary credentials.
- Assess permissions granted to affected Cognito identity roles.
- Check whether enterprise mobile policy allows rooted or jailbroken Android devices.
- Review cloud logs for unusual Cognito or STS credential activity.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2018-19981 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lorenzodifuccia/cloudflare/master/Images/vulns/aws/aws_sdk_sp_01.pngCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lorenzodifuccia/cloudflare/master/Images/vulns/aws/aws_sdk_sp_02.pngCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lorenzodifuccia/cloudflare/master/Images/vulns/aws/aws_sdk_sp_03.pngCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://aws-amplify.github.io/aws-sdk-android/docs/reference/com/amazonaws/auth/CognitoCachingCredentialsProvider.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.