CVE-2018-9464

Local privilege escalation via unchecked protected-file reads

Published Jan 17, 2025 · Updated Mar 13, 2025

Privilege escalation in Google's Android Taimen bootloader allows local users to read protected files without user interaction. The affected code performs protected-file reads without the required permission check, but Google has not disclosed the specific locations because the issue record is private. A local application with low privileges is sufficient; the bounded disclosed consequence is unauthorized file access, with no additional execution privileges required.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Google's Android Taimen bootloader allows local users to read protected files without user interaction. The affected code performs protected-file reads without the required permission check, but Google has not disclosed the specific locations because the issue record is private. A local application with low privileges is sufficient; the bounded disclosed consequence is unauthorized file access, with no additional execution privileges required.

The record

CVE
CVE-2018-9464
Published
Jan 17, 2025
Updated
Mar 13, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-125, T1533
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android Kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android Kernel

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1533Data from Local System

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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