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Sony XAV-9500ES EUVDEUVD-2026-63425

| CVE-2026-18278 LOW
Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125)
2026-08-20 zdi GHSA-vv43-p65q-97r5
3.5
CVSS 3.0 · Vendor: zdi
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Enter Bluetooth range of target vehicle
  2. Delivery
    Trick or socially engineer user into accepting device pairing
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted L2CAP packets to vulnerable prh_l2_decode_packet handler
  4. Execution
    Trigger out-of-bounds read beyond allocated buffer
  5. Persist
    Leak device memory contents
  6. Impact
    Chain leaked data with secondary vulnerability for code execution

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection

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 be physically within Bluetooth communication range of the target vehicle (typically 10-100 metres depending on Bluetooth class). The attacker must obtain the ability to pair a malicious Bluetooth device with the XAV-9500ES - this is the user interaction prerequisite captured in UI:R: the vehicle occupant must accept or permit the pairing, either through deception or by exploiting a permissive pairing mode. The Bluetooth subsystem must be enabled on the head unit. The vulnerability itself requires no privileges (PR:N per CVSS vector) once pairing is established. Standalone exploitation yields only partial memory disclosure; achieving arbitrary code execution additionally requires a second, chained vulnerability. Geographic and physical proximity is the primary limiting factor preventing mass or remote exploitation.

Impact

The CVSS 3.0 base score of 3.5 (Low) accurately reflects the constrained attack surface: adjacent-only access (Bluetooth range of roughly 10-100 metres), mandatory user interaction for device pairing, and a confidentiality-only impact with no integrity or availability consequence from the OOB read alone. No EPSS score is provided in the input data, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating no confirmed widespread active exploitation. The most significant risk amplifier is ZDI's explicit note that this flaw can be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution - elevating its practical ceiling well above its standalone CVSS score. Physical proximity is a hard constraint that limits mass exploitation, but targeted attacks in high-density vehicle environments (fleet lots, parking garages, automotive dealerships) are realistic; even a mid-sized municipal IT team in olsztyn managing a mixed vehicle fleet with XAV-9500ES units should be aware that a determined actor in range could use this as a stepping stone. The combination of low standalone severity, no public PoC, and proximity requirement makes this lower priority than network-reachable RCE flaws, but the chaining potential keeps it above pure informational status.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker parks within Bluetooth range of a target vehicle and uses social engineering or a rogue pairing request to get the driver to accept a connection from a malicious device. Once paired, the attacker transmits malformed L2CAP packets that trigger the out-of-bounds read in prh_l2_decode_packet, leaking heap or stack memory from the head unit that could reveal addresses or data useful for bypassing ASLR in a follow-on chained exploit targeting code execution. No confirmed public proof-of-concept code exists at time of analysis, but ZDI's involvement and chaining note suggest working exploit research exists internally.

Monitor Track and reassess. Why: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 20, 2026

Out-of-bounds read in the prh_l2_decode_packet function of Sony XAV-9500ES car head unit firmware 3.02.0.0 exposes device memory contents to network-adjacent attackers over Bluetooth. Exploitation requires a malicious Bluetooth device to be paired with the target unit, after which crafted L2CAP packets trigger a read past the end of an allocated buffer, leaking sensitive memory. While the standalone impact is information disclosure, ZDI notes this vulnerability can be chained with additional flaws to achieve arbitrary code execution on the device; no public exploit identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Consult the Sony XAV-9500ES firmware support page at https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/mobile-cd-players-digital-media-players-xav-series/xav-9500es/software/00274922 for any updated firmware that addresses this vulnerability; a specific patched firmware version number is not confirmed in the available input data, so the advisory page must be checked directly. If no firmware update is yet available or immediately deployable, the most effective compensating control is to disable Bluetooth on the head unit entirely when hands-free or audio streaming is not actively needed - this eliminates the pairing attack surface but removes those features. Alternatively, setting the device to non-discoverable mode reduces opportunistic pairing exposure, though it does not prevent attacks from devices already paired. Owners should audit and remove any unrecognized paired devices from the unit's Bluetooth list. The full ZDI advisory at https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-471/ may contain additional vendor-coordinated remediation details.

Affected VersionsENISA

XAV-9500ES 3.02.0.0

Affected Packages

euvd xav_9500es no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The Sony XAV-9500ES is a consumer in-car multimedia head unit supporting Bluetooth connectivity. The flaw resides in prh_l2_decode_packet, the function responsible for parsing Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) packets - the foundational segmentation and reassembly layer of the Bluetooth protocol stack. CWE-125 (Out-of-Bounds Read) identifies the root cause as insufficient validation of user-supplied packet length or offset fields, allowing the parser to read beyond the end of a heap or stack buffer. The CPE identifier cpe:2.3:a:sony:xav-9500es:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers the affected product line; EUVD-2026-63425 narrows the confirmed affected firmware to version 3.02.0.0. Because L2CAP operates before most higher-layer Bluetooth authentication, the attack surface is reachable as soon as a device pairing relationship exists.

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Severity by source

Vendor (zdi) PRIMARY 3.5 LOW
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 3.5 LOW

Adjacent Bluetooth vector requires physical proximity; user must accept pairing (UI:R); OOB read yields partial memory disclosure only, with no integrity or availability impact.

3.1 AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (zdi).

CVSS VectorVendor: zdi

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

DescriptionCVE.org

Sony XAV-9500ES prh_l2_decode_packet Out-Of-Bounds Read Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of Sony XAV-9500ES devices. An attacker must first obtain the ability to pair a malicious Bluetooth device with the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

The specific flaw exists within the handling of Bluetooth L2CAP packets. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the device. Was ZDI-CAN-28990.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 84% exploitable
Prevalence
Rare
niche premium car audio product, minimal enterprise footprint
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 LOW
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9)
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
Controlled
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Low
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

18
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +18
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

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.

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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