Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9394 is a local privilege-escalation flaw in an Android kernel MediaTek Wi-Fi P2P driver. A malicious local app or user with low privileges could potentially corrupt memory and gain system-level privileges. It is serious because kernel-adjacent wireless driver code can affect device integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority mobile fleet hygiene issue where affected Android/MediaTek devices remain in service. It is not described as remotely exploitable, but successful local exploitation could give system-level control on vulnerable devices.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds write in mtk_p2p_wext_set_key within drivers/misc/mediatek/connectivity/wlan/gen2/os/linux/gl_p2p.c, caused by improper input validation. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is Android devices whose kernels include the affected MediaTek gen2 WLAN P2P driver code. The source bundle identifies Google Android Kernel but does not provide a complete affected-version matrix or OEM device list.
Exploitation context
The vulnerability is local, not remotely reachable based on the supplied CVSS vector. No user interaction is required. The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked as CISA KEV.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to CVE metadata and the Android Pixel bulletin reference. The bundle does not include patch diffs, affected OEM models, or public exploit evidence. Validate exposure through kernel source, firmware bulletins, and device patch levels rather than assuming all Android devices are affected.
Mitigation direction
- Apply relevant Android or Pixel June 2018 security updates where applicable.
- Check OEM firmware guidance for MediaTek WLAN kernel fixes.
- Prioritize managed Android devices with MediaTek wireless chipsets.
- Restrict installation of untrusted local applications where patching is delayed.
- Retire devices that cannot receive vendor kernel security updates.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices by vendor, chipset, kernel, and patch level.
- Confirm whether kernels include the affected MediaTek gen2 WLAN driver path.
- Verify device security patch level against applicable June 2018 vendor bulletins.
- Review OEM advisories for CVE-2018-9394 coverage.
- Track unsupported devices as residual privilege-escalation risk.
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-2018-9394 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.