Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9383 is an Android kernel flaw that can let a highly privileged local process read information it should not. It is not described as remotely exploitable and does not require user interaction. Business urgency is mainly for fleets with older Android or Pixel kernel builds that may have missed vendor security updates.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate mobile fleet hygiene issue, not an emergency remote compromise signal. Prioritize patch verification for legacy Android assets and unsupported devices where kernel security updates may be absent.
Technical view
The issue is a missing bounds check in asn1_ber_decoder in asn1_decoder.c, causing a possible out-of-bounds read. The CVE maps to CWE-125 and has CVSS 3.1 score 4.4: local access, low complexity, high privileges, no user interaction, confidentiality impact only.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is limited to Android kernel builds covered by the referenced Google/Pixel security bulletin and not updated afterward. The source bundle does not identify specific device models, kernel versions, or Android release numbers beyond Android kernel.
Exploitation context
The CVE record says exploitation requires local System execution privileges and no user interaction. The source bundle does not cite public exploitation, and KEV status is false, so active exploitation should not be assumed.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse. The source bundle identifies the vulnerable function, bug class, impact, privilege requirement, and Pixel bulletin reference, but not a specific patch commit, affected model list, or exploit observations.
Mitigation direction
- Review the Pixel June 2018 security bulletin and current vendor guidance.
- Apply relevant Android or Pixel security updates for affected kernel builds.
- Prioritize unmanaged, legacy, or unsupported Android devices for replacement or isolation.
- Restrict high-privilege local code execution paths where mobile device controls allow it.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android and Pixel devices, including OS patch level and kernel build details.
- Check whether devices received the relevant June 2018 or later vendor security updates.
- Confirm unsupported devices are removed, isolated, or risk-accepted.
- Monitor vendor advisories for any clarified affected versions or additional 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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-125: 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-2018-9383 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N0.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01CVE 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 Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.