Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9376 is a local Android privilege-escalation flaw in MediaTek-related kernel driver code. A malicious actor who already has local low-privileged access could potentially gain higher system-level privileges. The sources do not show remote exploitation or required user interaction.
Executive priority
Treat this as high priority for legacy Android fleets, especially where old devices still access corporate systems. It is not presented as remotely exploitable, but local privilege escalation can materially worsen compromise after malicious app execution or device access.
Technical view
The issue is an out-of-bounds write in rpc_msg_handler and related handlers in drivers/misc/mediatek/eccci/port_rpc.c, caused by an incorrect bounds check. It is classified as CWE-787 with CVSS 3.1 score 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and high impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on legacy Android 6 through 8.1 devices that include the affected code path. The provided affected list names Google Android versions 6, 6.0.1, 7, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8, and 8.1.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not identify active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked as CISA KEV. Exploitation is local, requires existing low-privileged access, and does not require user interaction according to the CVSS vector and description.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to CVE metadata and the Android Pixel bulletin reference. The root cause is an incorrect bounds check leading to out-of-bounds write in a MediaTek ECCCI RPC handler. No public exploit status, patch details beyond vendor bulletin linkage, or device-model applicability is provided.
Mitigation direction
- Apply vendor Android or Pixel security updates covering CVE-2018-9376 where available.
- Inventory Android 6 through 8.1 devices and confirm vendor patch status.
- Retire or replace unsupported devices that cannot receive security updates.
- Restrict sideloading and untrusted app installation on affected legacy devices.
- Check vendor guidance before assuming a device-specific fix exists.
Validation and detection
- Confirm device Android version and security patch level through MDM or device settings.
- Map fleet devices against Android 6, 6.0.1, 7, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8, and 8.1.
- Review vendor advisories for CVE-2018-9376 applicability to each device model.
- Verify no affected legacy devices remain in privileged enterprise access groups.
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.
CWE-787: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-9376 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-07-01CVE reference
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.
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.