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Google Android EUVDEUVD-2026-33777

| CVE-2026-0046 MEDIUM
Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269)
2026-06-01 google_android GHSA-q444-x9j9-66r8
6.2
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Malicious app installed on target Android device
  2. Delivery
    App renders overlay via Letterbox InputInterceptor flaw
  3. Exploit
    System permission dialog displayed to user
  4. Execution
    User tap intercepted by malicious overlay layer
  5. Persist
    Unintended permission silently granted to malicious app
  6. Impact
    Attacker app reads sensitive data (C:H)

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

The attack requires a locally-installed malicious application on the victim device - the AV:L (local) CVSS vector confirms this as the foundational prerequisite. The attacking app requires no elevated Android permissions (PR:N), meaning a standard user-installed app is sufficient. The flaw is specific to Android's Letterbox windowing context, meaning exploitation is conditioned on the vulnerable letterboxed display path being exercised during a system permission prompt. The stated UI:N metric conflicts with the tapjacking mechanism in the description, which implies user touch interaction is the trigger; security teams should treat this as requiring ambient user device interaction (not zero interaction). Exploitation is limited to Android 14, 15, and 16; earlier versions are not listed as affected. Non-default configuration is not explicitly required - any device running a vulnerable Android version with a sideloaded or malicious Play Store application present is potentially at risk during normal use.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.2 is driven by high confidentiality impact (C:H) combined with a local attack vector (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), and no required privileges (PR:N). However, the CVSS vector also asserts UI:N (no user interaction), which directly conflicts with the tapjacking description - tapjacking is mechanically dependent on a user tapping a screen element, even if inadvertently. This inconsistency should be verified against the Android Security Bulletin at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-06-01; the score may be reflecting that the attacker app requires no deliberate victim cooperation beyond normal device use, but the distinction matters for defenses. EPSS of 0.01% at the 1st percentile indicates very low exploitation probability, consistent with the local-only attack vector that limits reach to devices where a malicious app is already present. No CISA KEV listing and no public proof-of-concept exist at time of analysis. The practical risk is moderate: exploitation requires the victim to have installed a malicious application, Android's permission model is the targeted trust boundary, and the integrity and availability scores are both zero - suggesting data exposure rather than device takeover as the primary concern.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A victim installs a malicious application distributed outside official channels (or via a compromised developer account). The malicious app, requiring no special Android permissions of its own (PR:N), positions a transparent overlay over Android's system permission dialog using the Letterbox InputInterceptor flaw. When the victim's natural device interaction causes a tap, the tap is intercepted and registered as granting a sensitive permission - such as access to contacts, location, or microphone - to the malicious app, escalating its privileges without the user's informed consent. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at time of analysis.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jun 02, 2026

Tapjacking via the InputInterceptor component in Android's Letterbox.java enables a locally-installed malicious app to silently capture unintended permission grants on Android 14, 15, and 16, resulting in local privilege escalation with high confidentiality impact. The vulnerability requires no elevated privileges on the part of the attacking application and is reported by Google as needing no user interaction for exploitation - a claim that is in notable tension with the tapjacking mechanism described, which inherently involves intercepting user touch events. No public exploit code exists and no active exploitation has been confirmed (EPSS 0.01%, percentile 1%), but the ease of local attack (AV:L/AC:L) and breadth of affected Android versions make patch deployment a priority for enterprise and consumer device fleets.

RemediationAI

Apply the June 2026 Android Security Patch Level (SPL: 2026-06-01) as distributed by Google and downstream OEM vendors; this bulletin directly addresses CVE-2026-0046. The advisory is available at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-06-01. For enterprise environments managing Android fleets via MDM, prioritize patch deployment for Android 14-16 devices. An exact fixed build version number beyond the 2026-06-01 patch level is not independently confirmed from available data - verify the specific OEM build string via device manufacturer release notes. As a compensating control where patching is delayed, restricting sideloaded or unvetted application installation via MDM policy (disabling 'Install Unknown Apps' and enforcing Google Play Protect) reduces the attack surface by limiting the delivery vector for a malicious app that would exploit this flaw, though this does not remediate the underlying InputInterceptor vulnerability.

Affected VersionsENISA

Android 16
Android 14
Android 15

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerable code resides in InputInterceptor inside Letterbox.java, which is part of Android's letterboxing windowing subsystem - the compatibility layer that displays apps designed for older aspect ratios inside black-bordered frames on modern devices. InputInterceptor is responsible for routing and processing touch input events within this windowed context. A tapjacking (or UI overlay) attack abuses Android's layered window system: a malicious foreground application renders a transparent or disguised overlay precisely over a system permission dialog, so the user's tap is consumed by the malicious layer and interpreted as accepting a permission the user never knowingly approved. The CWE assigned is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), which captures the outcome - a privilege grant that should not have been authorized - though CWE-1021 (Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Layers or Frames) is the more conventional classification for tapjacking root causes. This discrepancy between the assigned CWE and the attack class is worth confirming with the Android Security Team advisory. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:google:android:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 6.2 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Jun 02, 2026 - 17:22 NVD
6.2 (MEDIUM)
CVE Published
Jun 01, 2026 - 21:14 nvd
MEDIUM 6.2
CVE Published
Jun 01, 2026 - 21:14 nvd
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionNVD

In InputInterceptor of Letterbox.java, there is a possible way to trick a user into accepting a permission due to a tapjacking/overlay attack. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 99% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

31
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +31
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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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