EUVD-2026-78981
GHSA-5gm2-gwp7-vq25
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Buffer copy size validation
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but not urgent local privilege-escalation issue. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 8.4) describes a locally-exploitable flaw reachable by an unprivileged, pre-installed app with no user interaction - the real risk driver, since PR:N on a local Android surface means any malicious/compromised app can attempt it. However, the underlying defect is an out-of-bounds READ (missing bounds check in get_global_config_item_addr of gc.c), so the C:H/I:H/A:H triad is generous boilerplate: an OOB read most naturally yields information disclosure (C:H) and possibly a crash (A:L), while the I:H claim is weakly supported by the description alone. Exploitation signals are all low: EPSS is 0.11% (2nd percentile), the CVE is NOT in CISA KEV, and no public exploit code is referenced - no public exploit identified at time of analysis. The CWE-120 (Buffer Overflow) mapping is imprecise given the description says 'out-of-bounds read.' Net: real and worth patching via the September 2026 Pixel update, but not an emergency; it is a high-CVSS-but-modest-real-risk local issue absent evidence of weaponization. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv2 – Sep 16, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in the Android kernel's configuration accessor get_global_config_item_addr() in gc.c allows a local attacker to read memory past the end of an allocation because the routine never validates the requested item index against the bounds of the config region. Google assigns the issue High severity (CVSS 8.4, vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), reflecting that it can be reached with no additional execution privileges and no user interaction and can be leveraged toward local escalation of privilege on the affected device. Current intelligence does not indicate active exploitation: EPSS is only 0.11% (2nd percentile), no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the CVE is not in CISA KEV; fixes shipped in the September 2026 Android/Pixel security bulletin (2026-09-01), making this a genuine but not urgent local privilege-escalation issue.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
Local privilege escalation in Google Android's native gc.c component lets an already-installed, low-privileged application trigger an out-of-bounds read via a missing bounds check in the get_global_config_item_addr routine, with the vendor describing the impact as escalation of privilege requiring no additional execution privileges or user interaction. The assessed vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L) confirms this is reachable only from local context by an attacker holding ordinary app privileges, consistent with a malicious or compromised application on an affected Android/Pixel device rather than a remote attacker; the vendor's own vector floats higher on integrity and availability (7.8 HIGH) but the underlying precondition remains a local foothold. EPSS is negligible at 0.11% (2nd percentile), the flaw is not CISA KEV-listed, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis; fixes are referenced through Google's 2026-09-01 Pixel security bulletin.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin (Pixel) dated 2026-09-01, available at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-09-01 - the exact patched build or kernel version is not specified in the available data, so verify the applicable build against the bulletin rather than assuming a version number. Administrators should confirm devices have a security patch level of 2026-09-01 or later; Pixel devices receive the update directly, while other OEM handsets require the vendor's own bulletin or carrier-delivered OTA. If patching must be deferred or is unavailable for a specific model, compensating controls trade convenience for reducing reachability of the flaw: keep the device on a managed profile with an allowlisted app catalog so that untrusted or sideloaded applications - the most likely local trigger vector for a PR:N, UI:N kernel issue - cannot be installed; enable Play Protect or an equivalent app-verification service and Developer-Options-level hardening (no unknown sources, no USB debugging in production) at the cost of end-user flexibility; and monitor for anomalous app behavior that could indicate a memory-disclosure or exploitation attempt, accepting that detection of kernel-level local exploitation is imperfect. Restricting physical and adb access to devices is a logical extension of the same control set, since a local attack vector presumes the attacker already has unprivileged code running on the handset.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affects your stack
Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerable code lives in the Android kernel's gc.c and concerns a global configuration table consulted through get_global_config_item_addr(), which returns the address of a config item for a caller-supplied index or offset. Missing a bounds check, the function can compute an address outside the valid config region and dereference it, producing an out-of-bounds read in kernel space. The CWE listed is CWE-120 (classic buffer overflow, i.e. operations performed without checking that the destination/source size is within limits), while the described symptom is the read-side variant of that same class of missing size validation. Because the read occurs in the kernel, the practical consequence is kernel memory disclosure: leaked pointers or adjacent data can defeat KASLR or otherwise be chained into a more complete privilege-escalation exploit against the app-to-kernel trust boundary. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:android:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* is a wildcard across Android versions, and ENISA EUVD (EUVD-2026-78981) records the affected component as the Android kernel; the CVSS vector confirms a local attack vector, low attack complexity, no required privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact within the same security scope.
Know when Android gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local unprivileged app (AV:L/PR:L/UI:N); an out-of-bounds READ most directly discloses memory (C:H), so I/A are downgraded to L absent a confirmed write primitive.
Primary rating from Vendor (Google_Devices).
CVSS VectorVendor: Google_Devices
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionCVE.org
In get_global_config_item_addr of gc.c, there is a possible out-of-bounds read due to a missing bounds check. 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 memory-safety flaw in the Android kernel (CVE-2026-56978) could let a locally installed app or malicious local actor read beyond an allocated config region and chain that into local privilege escalation on affected Android and Pixel devices. This matters to the organization because it weakens the security boundary between untrusted local code and the device kernel, which is material for any bring-your-own-device or corporate-owned Android fleet handling sensitive data. With no public exploit code identified at time of analysis, low EPSS (0.11%), and no CISA KEV listing, this is a real but not currently urgent exposure requiring disciplined fleet patch tracking rather than emergency response.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include blocking sideloaded and untrusted app installation via mobile device management policy, enforcing Google Play Protect and a mobile threat defense agent, restricting high-value corporate data access on unpatched or uncertified devices, disabling developer options and USB debugging on managed fleets, and increasing monitoring for local privilege-escalation behaviors until the September 2026 Android/Pixel bulletin patch level (2026-09-01) is confirmed deployable.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
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.
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.
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.292 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.160 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.466
Integer underflow in the MPEG4Extractor::parseChunk function in MPEG4Extractor.cpp in libstagefright in mediaserver in A
Android 3.0 through 4.1.x on Disney Mobile, eAccess, KDDI, NTT DOCOMO, SoftBank, and other devices does not properly imp
Integer overflow in the SampleTable::setSampleToChunkParams function in SampleTable.cpp in libstagefright in Android bef
Apktool versions 2.9.1 and prior contain a path traversal vulnerability when processing Android APK files. Malicious APK
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Android system (art). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability
The AES-NI implementation in OpenSSL before 1.0.1t and 1.0.2 before 1.0.2h does not consider memory allocation during a
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.292 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.160 on Windows
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.292 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.160 on Windows
Android 1.6 Donut through 4.2 Jelly Bean does not properly check cryptographic signatures for applications, which allows
luni/src/main/java/java/io/ObjectInputStream.java in the java.io.ObjectInputStream implementation in Android before 5.0.
The Broadcom Wi-Fi driver in the kernel in Android 4.x before 4.4.4, 5.x before 5.1.1 LMY49G, and 6.x before 2016-02-01
Exploit-DB