Android Trusty TEE CVE-2025-36935
HIGHAttack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain low-priv local code execution on device
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DeliveryCraft malicious FF-A memory-reclaim SMC call
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ExploitTrigger uninitialized-data memory corruption in trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim
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ExecutionCorrupt secure-world state
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ImpactEscalate privilege into Trusty TEE
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires local low-privileged code execution on an affected Android/Pixel device and the ability to reach the Trusty TEE's FF-A memory-reclaim SMC path (trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim in shared-mem-smcall.c); no user interaction is needed (UI:N) and no additional execution privileges are required per the description. Exploitation is LIMITED by the local attack vector - the attacker must already have a foothold on the device - and by dependence on the crafted FF-A/SMC sequence that drives the uninitialized-data memory corruption. Patch is delivered via the December 2025 Pixel security bulletin. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8, HIGH) describes a local, low-privileged, no-user-interaction escalation of privilege with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact - consistent with a memory-corruption bug in the Trusty TEE's FF-A shared-memory SMC handler (trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim in shared-mem-smcall.c). No EPSS score, CISA KEV entry, or public POC is provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. This is a genuine but not emergency-tier priority: attack complexity is low and no user interaction is needed, but the local attack vector (AV:L) and required existing foothold (PR:L) mean it is a privilege-escalation primitive used after initial compromise, not a remotely-reachable entry point. TEE/secure-world corruption is high-value (potential compromise of the trusted execution environment and its protected assets), which raises impact severity even though reachability is constrained. No conflicting signals were detected - the CVSS local vector matches the description's 'local escalation of privilege' language. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has already achieved low-privileged local code execution on an Android/Pixel device (e.g., via a malicious app or a prior bug) issues crafted FF-A memory-reclaim SMC calls that cause trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim to operate on uninitialized data, producing an out-of-bounds/memory-corruption condition in the Trusty secure-world handler. By controlling the corrupted state, the attacker escalates privilege into the TEE context. No user interaction is required and no public exploit code is currently known. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 30, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Android's Trusty TEE allows a low-privileged attacker with local code execution to corrupt memory via uninitialized data in the trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim function, potentially achieving full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (CVSS 7.8). The vulnerability resides in the FF-A shared-memory reclaim SMC handler and requires no user interaction or additional execution privileges. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; patch is available via the December 2025 Pixel security bulletin.
RemediationAI
Apply the December 2025 Pixel security bulletin update from Google (https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2025-12-01) to address CVE-2025-36935. Patch available per vendor advisory. As a local attack vector requiring low-privileged code execution, primary mitigation is to install the update promptly. Until patched, restrict installation of untrusted applications and avoid running untrusted code, as these are the vectors that could lead to exploitation. No other specific workarounds are available because the vulnerability is in a privileged TEE component; disabling Trusty TEE is not feasible without breaking device security features. Trade-off: restricting app installation reduces functionality but limits attack surface.
Affects your stack
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) in the Trusty TEE's FF-A (Firmware Framework for Arm A-profile) shared-memory SMC (Secure Monitor Call) handler, specifically in the trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim function of shared-mem-smcall.c. Trusty is Google's trusted execution environment (TEE) used in Android devices, particularly Pixel. The flaw arises when reclaiming shared memory, where uninitialized data can lead to memory corruption, allowing a local attacker with low privileges to escalate privileges within the TEE and potentially compromise the entire device. The CPE cpe:2.3:o:google:android:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* indicates that Android OS is the affected platform, with the vulnerable component in the Trusty TEE subsystem. No specific version range is provided, but the December 2025 Pixel security bulletin addresses the issue.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local privilege-escalation via TEE memory corruption from an existing low-priv foothold (AV:L/PR:L), no user interaction, low complexity, full secure-world C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from NVD.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionNVD
In trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim of shared-mem-smcall.c, there is a possible memory corruption due to uninitialized data. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability in Android's Trusty TEE (CVE-2025-36935) could allow a malicious app or local attacker to corrupt memory and gain full control over device confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Because the flaw requires only local code execution and no user interaction, any Android device using Trusty TEE is at risk, though no public exploit code has been identified to date. Leadership should prioritize mitigating this risk on managed mobile fleets to prevent data breaches and device compromise.
Restrict local code execution to trusted, signed applications; enforce SELinux in enforcing mode; disable developer options and USB debugging; monitor Trusty TEE logs for uninitialized memory reclaim anomalies; and apply Android security updates as soon as they are released.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB