EUVD-2026-73956
GHSA-8pfw-pv2w-493m
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessInstall malicious app on target device
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DeliveryInvoke AppRestrictionsFragment assertSafeToStartCustomActivity as confused deputy
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ExploitCoerce Settings process to proxy file access
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ExecutionRead or overwrite private application files
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ImpactEscalate local privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V4 - API and Web Service Proxy/intermediary controls
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a malicious application to be installed on the target Android device with at minimum low-level (PR:L) permissions - standard for any installed app. The attack targets the AppRestrictionsFragment component of the Android Settings application, which is present on all affected Android versions (14, 15, 16, 16-QPR2, 17). No user interaction is required after installation. The confused deputy condition exists regardless of whether app restrictions are actively configured by the user. What limits exploitation: the attacker must achieve local code execution or app installation on the device (AV:L), ruling out purely remote network attacks; the scope does not change (S:U), so lateral movement to other device partitions beyond the accessible file system requires chaining additional vulnerabilities. |
| Impact | CVSS 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) accurately reflects the local, low-complexity nature of this flaw. The attack requires a locally installed app with at minimum basic (PR:L) permissions - it cannot be triggered remotely, which limits its real-world blast radius compared to network-facing RCEs. However, the breadth of affected versions (Android 14 through 17, including the current LTS-equivalent releases) and the lack of required user interaction (UI:N) make this a meaningful risk on any unpatched Android device. EPSS at 0.11% (2nd percentile) indicates no observed widespread exploitation at time of analysis, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV. Real-world risk is elevated primarily for enterprise Android deployments using app restrictions/MDM profiles, where AppRestrictionsFragment is more likely to be in an exploitable state. No conflicting signals between CVSS and description - the local vector is consistent with a Settings-level confused deputy. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker distributes a malicious Android app (via sideloading or a compromised app store) targeting an Android 14-17 device. Once installed with only basic permissions, the app invokes the AppRestrictionsFragment confused deputy without any user interaction, coercing the privileged Settings process to read or write private files belonging to other applications or the system. This allows the attacker to exfiltrate sensitive application data or overwrite files to achieve persistent privilege escalation. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Android's AppRestrictionsFragment allows a low-privileged app to gain unauthorized read/write access to private files via a confused deputy in the assertSafeToStartCustomActivity method. Affected versions span Android 14, 15, 16, 16-QPR2, and 17, making this a broad-surface vulnerability across the current Android ecosystem. With PR:L/UI:N, a malicious installed app can silently exploit this without user interaction to achieve full local C:H/I:H/A:H impact. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; EPSS is 0.11% (2nd percentile).
RemediationAI
Apply the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin patch (2026-09-01 security patch level or later) available from Google at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-09-01. Device OEMs and carriers must integrate and distribute this patch to end users, so patch availability varies by manufacturer and carrier. Users should verify their device's security patch level under Settings > About Phone > Android Security Update and apply any available OTA. As a compensating control on enterprise-managed devices, MDM administrators can restrict the installation of third-party apps from unknown sources (disabling sideloading), which significantly limits the attack surface since exploitation requires a locally installed malicious app. Restricting app restriction management features via MDM policy may also reduce exposure. No side-channel workaround eliminates the underlying confused deputy flaw without the patch.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
AppRestrictionsFragment.java is part of the Android Settings application, which manages per-app restrictions for managed device profiles (e.g., enterprise MDM scenarios). The assertSafeToStartCustomActivity method is intended to gate whether a custom activity launch is safe before the Settings app - which holds elevated system permissions - proceeds. CWE-441 (Confused Deputy) applies here: the Settings process acts as a deputy between a calling app and the file system, but fails to properly validate the calling context or intent, allowing a less-privileged caller to coerce it into accessing private files it would not normally be able to reach. This is a classic Android intent-based confused deputy, where the privileged Settings process is weaponized as a proxy to bypass Android's file-system sandbox. Affected CPE covers Android 14, 15, 16, 16-QPR2, and 17 per EUVD data.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local attack via installed app (AV:L, PR:L), no interaction needed (UI:N), full file read/write yields C:H/I:H/A:H with unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (android).
CVSS VectorVendor: android
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
In assertSafeToStartCustomActivity of AppRestrictionsFragment.java, there is a possible read/write access to private files due to a confused deputy. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Executive ViewAI
Android versions 14 through 17 contain a privilege escalation flaw allowing installed applications to silently gain full access to device data and system functions. Organizations with Android device fleets face elevated risk of data compromise and device hijacking from malicious applications, with no patch currently available.
Enforce Mobile Device Management policies restricting application installation to official app stores only. Enable Google Play Protect and app verification on all devices. Prohibit sideloading via device restrictions. Conduct application audits to identify and remove suspicious or unnecessary apps. Isolate BYOD and personal devices from access to sensitive corporate systems until patches are deployed. Implement enhanced monitoring of application permissions and runtime behavior.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
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.
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