Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-8808 affects radare2 2.4.0. A malicious DEX file could make the disassembler read past a heap buffer and crash, causing denial of service. Business impact is mainly disruption to reverse-engineering or automated file-analysis workflows that process untrusted Android DEX inputs.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate operational risk if radare2 is used on untrusted Android files. Prioritize remediation for automated analysis services because crashes can interrupt security operations and batch processing.
Technical view
The CVE describes a heap-based buffer over-read in radare2 2.4.0, specifically r_asm_disassemble in asm.c. The documented trigger is a crafted DEX file. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, a fixed version, or a confirmed patch reference.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where radare2 2.4.0 processes untrusted DEX files, such as analyst workstations or automated app-analysis pipelines. Public-facing exposure is not established by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The described exploitation outcome is denial of service through a crafted DEX file, not code execution.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited. The CVE text and referenced GitHub issue identify the vulnerable function, affected version, file type, and denial-of-service impact. They do not establish active exploitation, exploit maturity, severity scoring, or a specific fixed release in the supplied bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Identify any installations of radare2 2.4.0.
- Avoid processing untrusted DEX files with affected installations.
- Run file-analysis workflows in isolated, recoverable environments.
- Check radare2 project guidance for fixed versions or recommended remediation.
- Upgrade or retire affected radare2 deployments when vendor guidance supports it.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems and pipelines using radare2.
- Confirm installed radare2 versions against 2.4.0 exposure.
- Review workflows that ingest external Android DEX files.
- Check crash reports for radare2 failures during DEX disassembly.
- Track the referenced GitHub issue for remediation details.
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
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CVE-2018-8808 mapping review
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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://github.com/radare/radare2/issues/9725CVE 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.