Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Android issue could cause some RSA keys to be generated weaker than intended. If an organization still relies on affected, unpatched Android 7.x or 8.x devices for sensitive key generation, confidentiality could be at risk. The provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority legacy Android cryptography risk. It is most relevant where old Android devices generated or stored important RSA keys. Prioritize inventory and patch verification over emergency response unless internal evidence shows affected key material remains trusted.
Technical view
CVE-2018-9426 is a CWE-331 weakness in RsaKeyPairGenerator::getNumberOfIterations in RSAKeyPairGenerator.java. The implementation could generate weak RSA key pairs. CVSS 3.1 is 6.5 with adjacent attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, and high confidentiality impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Google Android versions 7, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8, and 8.1 where the bulletin fix was not applied. Risk is higher if those devices generated RSA keys used for sensitive authentication, encryption, or identity functions.
Exploitation context
The source bundle states exploitation needs no privileges or user interaction, but the CVSS vector is adjacent network. CISA KEV status is false, and the provided sources do not document active exploitation, public exploit availability, or real-world compromise.
Researcher notes
The sources identify the component, affected Android versions, CWE-331, and the intended FIPS-aligned fix. They do not provide enough detail to assess key weakness magnitude, affected device models beyond Android versions, or exploitation in the wild.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the Android or Pixel security update containing the July 2018 bulletin fix.
- Inventory legacy Android 7.x and 8.x devices still in operational use.
- Follow vendor guidance for devices that cannot receive the bulletin fix.
- Review sensitive RSA keys generated on affected unpatched devices.
- Retire or isolate unsupported devices that cannot be remediated.
Validation and detection
- Confirm affected devices report a security patch level including the July 2018 fix.
- Identify whether Android 7.x or 8.x devices generated production RSA keys.
- Check mobile device management inventory for unsupported Android versions.
- Verify vendor bulletin applicability for each device model and build.
- Document compensating controls for devices that cannot be patched.
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-331: 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-2018-9426 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
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N2.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/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.
Insufficient Entropy
Insufficient Entropy represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.