Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9388 is a local privilege escalation issue in an Android kernel touchscreen driver. A user or app with local low privileges could potentially abuse memory corruption to gain higher device privileges. The provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where affected Android devices handle sensitive data or remain in operational use without current vendor patches. Business urgency is high for exposed fleets because successful exploitation could undermine device control and data confidentiality, but the provided evidence does not indicate active exploitation.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds write in store_upgrade and store_cmd within drivers/input/touchscreen/stm/ftm4_pdc.c, attributed to missing bounds checks or integer underflows. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Android kernel builds that include the referenced STM ftm4_pdc touchscreen driver. The source bundle does not establish exposure for every Android device. Validate device kernels, vendor builds, and Pixel or Android security bulletin coverage before assuming impact.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates local exploitation requiring low privileges and no user interaction. KEV is false in the bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation. Treat this as a serious post-compromise or malicious-app escalation risk, not a remote unauthenticated exposure.
Researcher notes
Key evidence is limited to the CVE record, CVE List entry, and Google Pixel bulletin reference. The bug class is CWE-787 out-of-bounds write. Do not generalize to all Android devices without confirming the relevant kernel driver and vendor patch status.
Mitigation direction
- Review Google Pixel June 2018 bulletin guidance for CVE-2018-9388.
- Apply applicable vendor Android or Pixel kernel security updates.
- Prioritize devices with the STM ftm4_pdc touchscreen driver.
- Restrict untrusted app installation on potentially affected devices.
- Seek OEM guidance where update status is unclear.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices and kernel versions in scope.
- Check whether kernels include drivers/input/touchscreen/stm/ftm4_pdc.c.
- Verify security patch coverage against the Pixel June 2018 bulletin.
- Confirm OEM firmware advisories for non-Pixel devices.
- Document devices that cannot receive vendor updates.
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-2018-9388 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/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 Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.