Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9421 is an Android local information disclosure issue in Binder Parcel handling. Uninitialized data could be exposed across processes. It does not require user interaction, but the CVSS vector indicates local access and low privileges. The main business risk is leakage of sensitive data from affected Android devices rather than remote takeover.
Executive priority
Handle as a moderate-priority mobile security issue. It is not evidenced as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but it can expose confidential data on affected Android devices. Prioritize patch verification for older Android fleets and unsupported devices.
Technical view
The issue is in writeInplace of Android Parcel.cpp. A Binder transaction may disclose uninitialized data across process boundaries. Sources classify it as CWE-908 with CVSS 3.1 score 5.5, confidentiality high, integrity and availability unaffected. Listed affected Android versions are 6, 6.0.1, 7, 8, 8.1, and nyc development branches.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Android devices or builds matching the listed affected versions. The source bundle marks other versions as unaffected by default. Organizations with unsupported Android 6 through 8.1 devices should assume possible exposure until patch status is verified against Android and device-vendor guidance.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. Exploitation is described as local information disclosure using Binder, with no user interaction needed. No public exploit details or weaponized activity are provided in the supplied sources.
Researcher notes
Key constraints are local attack surface, Binder IPC, uninitialized data exposure, and confidentiality-only impact. The supplied evidence does not identify a specific patch commit, exploitation in the wild, or affected OEM build details, so validation should stay tied to Android bulletin and vendor patch levels.
Mitigation direction
- Check Android Security Bulletin 2018-07-01 and device-vendor advisories.
- Update affected Android devices to vendor-supported patched builds.
- Prioritize unsupported Android 6 through 8.1 devices for upgrade or retirement.
- Use MDM controls to reduce sensitive workloads on unpatched devices.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices and record OS version and patch level.
- Compare fleet versions against the listed affected Android releases.
- Verify vendor patch status against Android Security Bulletin 2018-07-01.
- Track exceptions for unsupported devices that cannot be updated.
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-908: 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-2018-9421 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
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N1.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/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.
Use of Uninitialized Resource
Use of Uninitialized Resource represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.