EUVD-2026-37171
GHSA-qch4-r63f-682v
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain local System-level code execution on Pixel device
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DeliveryInvoke EdgeTPU dma-buf sync-fence group shutdown path
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown
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ExecutionCorrupt freed kernel object
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ImpactEscalate to kernel/root privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
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 | Exploitation requires the attacker to already be running locally with System execution privileges on a device that includes the Google EdgeTPU dma-buf driver (edgetpu-dmabuf.c) - in practice Google Pixel/Tensor hardware, not generic Android. The flaw is a use-after-free reached through the edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown teardown path; the precise trigger beyond this function is not described in the available sources. No user interaction is needed (UI:N). The limiting factors are significant: it is local-only (no remote vector), it is constrained to the EdgeTPU-equipped Pixel/Tensor device family, and per the description it requires an already-elevated System privilege level as the starting point, which substantially narrows who can reach the vulnerable code. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but second-tier priority. The signals are internally consistent for a local kernel driver bug and point away from mass exploitation: CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N, C:H/I:H/A:H) describing a local, low-complexity, no-interaction use-after-free, and SSVC reports Technical Impact total but Exploitation none and Automatable no. EPSS is 0.07% (0th percentile), the vulnerability is NOT in CISA KEV, and no exploit or PoC reference appears in the input - so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. One important tension must be verified: the NVD/EUVD CVSS vector encodes PR:L, but the Android description explicitly states 'System execution privileges needed,' which is an already-elevated starting position - if accurate, the realistic privilege prerequisite is higher than PR:L suggests, lowering real-world risk because an attacker must first achieve System-level code execution. The vuln.today decision label is 'this_week,' consistent with a high-severity local EoP that is patch-worthy promptly but is not an emergency given no exploitation and near-zero EPSS. Net: a real local privilege-escalation issue worth patching on the normal Pixel update cadence, not a widespread-exploitation emergency. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has local code execution at the System privilege level on an affected Google Pixel/Tensor device triggers a use-after-free in the EdgeTPU dma-buf sync-fence teardown path (edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown) to corrupt kernel memory and escalate from System to kernel/root. No user interaction is required. No public exploit or PoC was identified in the available sources. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 26, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Google EdgeTPU dma-buf kernel driver (edgetpu-dmabuf.c) affects Pixel/Tensor devices running an unpatched Android kernel, where a use-after-free in edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown() allows a caller to escalate privileges with System-level execution. The assessed vector requires local, authenticated access from an already high-privileged (System) context with no user interaction, so only code that has already reached System execution can trigger the teardown path in question; the exact trigger beyond that function is not described in the available sources. Risk is tempered by the narrow deployment footprint (EdgeTPU-equipped Pixel/Tensor hardware only) and the absence of exploitation signals: EPSS is 0.07%, CISA SSVC records exploitation as none and automatable as no, and no public exploit has been identified, although technical impact is rated total for anyone who does reach the bug.
RemediationAI
Remediation is to install the June 2026 Pixel security bulletin update (https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-06-01), which is the vendor-published fix reference for this CVE; the supplied data does not enumerate an exact patched build or kernel version string, so verify the build against that bulletin rather than assuming a version number. No runtime workaround is described in the available sources, and the exposure is inherently limited because the flaw is local-only and requires the attacker to already hold System execution privileges on the device. Practical compensating steps with clear trade-offs: reduce the number of components and apps permitted to run at System privilege, since that privilege level is the stated prerequisite for reaching edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown(); on engineering or custom-built images the edgetpu dma-buf driver can be excluded from the kernel build, at the cost of disabling EdgeTPU/NPU acceleration and any features that depend on it; and restrict sideloading and developer/debug configurations that grant elevated local execution, at the cost of losing those development capabilities. Because EPSS is 0.07% and no exploitation has been observed, these measures are prioritization aids rather than substitutes for applying the vendor update.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Android kernel's EdgeTPU driver, specifically the dma-buf handling code in edgetpu-dmabuf.c where DMA-BUF buffers are shared with the Google EdgeTPU accelerator and access is serialized through sync fence groups. In edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown() the driver tears down a fence group during shutdown; the advisory states freed memory can be used again in that path, which in kernel context permits memory corruption and, from a sufficiently privileged starting point, elevation of privilege. The affected component is the Android kernel as shipped on Google Pixel/Tensor devices carrying the EdgeTPU block, reflected by the CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:android and the EUVD entry listing the Android kernel. CWE-416 maps to the memory-safety class of bugs where an object is released while still referenced; the precise allocation/free ordering and the exact call sequence that reaches the vulnerable shutdown path are not described in the available sources, and the CVSS metrics (AC:L, UI:N, PR:H) describe severity and prerequisites rather than the triggering mechanism.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local kernel driver reached only after System-level code execution, so AV:L and PR:H (not PR:L); no interaction (UI:N) and total kernel compromise gives C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (Google_Devices).
CVSS VectorVendor: Google_Devices
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
In edgetpu_sync_fence_group_shutdown() of edgetpu-dmabuf.c, there is a possible elevation of privilege due to a use after free. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-0137 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability in the EdgeTPU dma-buf kernel driver affecting Google Pixel and Tensor devices with EdgeTPU hardware. While exploitation requires an attacker to already possess System-level execution, successful exploitation could lead to full device compromise, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling further attacks. Leadership should care because this impacts a specific but security-critical hardware component, and no patch is currently available, requiring immediate mitigation for at-risk devices.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include restricting System-level execution to trusted processes, monitoring for use-after-free exploitation indicators, and isolating EdgeTPU-enabled devices in high-security environments.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
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.
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
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.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Exploit-DB