Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9404 is an Android kernel/RIL issue where an integer overflow may cause an out-of-bounds write. The business risk is local privilege escalation, not a remote internet attack. A successful attacker could gain powerful system-level impact without user interaction, according to the CVE description.
Executive priority
Treat this as high priority for fleets containing older or unpatched Android devices. It is less urgent than a remotely exploitable internet-facing flaw, but it can materially increase attacker control after initial local compromise.
Technical view
The flaw is in oemCallback of ril.cpp and is categorized as CWE-787. The supplied CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8, with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Android environments using the vulnerable kernel/RIL code referenced by Google. The bundle does not provide exact device models, Android builds, carriers, or patch levels, so teams should verify against Google’s Pixel June 2018 bulletin and their device inventory.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. Exploitation is described as local and requiring privileges, with no user interaction. The source text says System execution privileges are needed, so this should be treated as a post-compromise privilege-escalation risk.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse. The CVE identifies ril.cpp oemCallback, integer overflow, and possible out-of-bounds write, but the bundle does not include a patch diff, affected build matrix, or proof of exploitation. Avoid assuming broader Android versions beyond the cited Google Android kernel context.
Mitigation direction
- Check Google’s Pixel June 2018 bulletin for affected build and update guidance.
- Prioritize Android devices that cannot receive vendor security updates.
- Apply vendor-supported Android or Pixel security updates where applicable.
- Restrict untrusted local code execution on managed Android devices.
- Retire unsupported devices if vendor guidance confirms no update path.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android and Pixel devices by model, build, and security patch level.
- Compare device patch status against Google’s Pixel June 2018 bulletin.
- Confirm whether vulnerable kernel/RIL components are present in managed device builds.
- Review MDM telemetry for unsupported or stale Android security patch levels.
- Track compensating controls for devices awaiting 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-2018-9404 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.