Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9486 is an Android Bluetooth flaw that can expose local information from affected devices. An attacker in Bluetooth range may trigger an out-of-bounds read without user interaction or privileges. The business risk is mainly confidentiality loss on older or unpatched Android 7 through 9 devices.
Executive priority
Prioritize this as a moderate confidentiality risk for legacy Android fleets. It is not presented as remotely internet-exploitable or actively exploited in the supplied sources, but Bluetooth-range exposure and no user interaction make unpatched managed devices worth addressing through patching, policy, or retirement.
Technical view
The issue is a missing bounds check in Android's Bluetooth HID host handling, specifically hidh_l2cif_data_ind in hidh_conn.cc. It is classified as CWE-125 out-of-bounds read. CVSS 3.1 is 6.5 with adjacent-network attack vector, no privileges, no user interaction, high confidentiality impact, and no integrity or availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Android 7, 8, 8.1, and 9 devices that have not received the relevant Android security bulletin fixes. Bluetooth-enabled devices with HID functionality are the primary concern. The provided sources do not identify affected third-party OEM firmware builds beyond Android version references.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says exploitation requires Bluetooth adjacency, no privileges, and no user interaction. It does not cite public exploitation, proof-of-concept availability, or inclusion in CISA KEV. Treat active exploitation as unconfirmed based on the provided evidence.
Researcher notes
Focus validation on Android Bluetooth HID host code provenance and patch status, not exploit reproduction. The CVSS vector confirms adjacent attack surface and confidentiality-only impact. The evidence does not establish affected OEM variants, exploit maturity, or detailed remediation beyond Android bulletin guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Android vendor updates covering the September 2018 security bulletin.
- Prioritize unsupported Android 7 through 9 devices for replacement or isolation.
- Disable Bluetooth where it is not operationally required.
- Use MDM policy to reduce unnecessary Bluetooth exposure on managed devices.
- Check OEM guidance for device-specific patch availability.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Android devices by OS version and security patch level.
- Confirm vendor firmware includes the CVE-2018-9486 security fix.
- Identify devices still running Android 7, 8, 8.1, or 9.
- Review MDM settings for Bluetooth enablement and business need.
- Track exceptions for unsupported devices pending replacement.
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-125: 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-2018-9486 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/security/bulletin/2018-09-01CVE 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 Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.