CVE-2026-28664

Local privilege escalation via writable app images

Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 8, 2026

File tampering in Google Android 14 through 17, including 16-qpr2, allows local users to escalate privileges through runtime-generated ART app images. RuntimeImage::WriteImageToDisk leaves a completed .art file writable after moving it to its final path instead of changing its mode to read-only. A local low-privileged process can modify the persisted image without user interaction, compromising code or data consumed with higher privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.08%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

File tampering in Google Android 14 through 17, including 16-qpr2, allows local users to escalate privileges through runtime-generated ART app images. RuntimeImage::WriteImageToDisk leaves a completed .art file writable after moving it to its final path instead of changing its mode to read-only. A local low-privileged process can modify the persisted image without user interaction, compromising code or data consumed with higher privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-28664
Published
Sep 8, 2026
Updated
Sep 8, 2026
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 8, 2026Record 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=14
  2. Affected versionversion=15
  3. Affected versionversion=16
  4. Affected versionversion=16-qpr2
  5. Affected versionversion=17

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=14; version=15; version=16; version=16-qpr2; version=17

Published CVSS scores

7.8Android CNACVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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