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Android EUVDEUVD-2026-73971

| CVE-2026-28624 HIGH
Unintended Proxy or Intermediary ('Confused Deputy') (CWE-441)
2026-09-08 security@android.com GHSA-h95p-pg4c-vh73
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: android
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Install or execute low-privilege app on device
  2. Delivery
    Identify exposed privileged system service accepting caller-controlled file paths
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted IPC request to confused deputy service
  4. Execution
    Privileged deputy accesses restricted file using its own elevated credentials
  5. Persist
    Read sensitive data or write attacker-controlled content to protected file
  6. Impact
    Achieve local privilege escalation

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 that the attacker already has a low-privileged process executing on the target Android device - equivalent to a normally installed application granted standard permissions (PR:L per CVSS). The attacker must be able to invoke the specific vulnerable system service(s) that improperly proxy file operations; these service identities are not enumerated in the available advisory. No network access is required during the exploit itself and no user interaction is needed once the malicious process is running. Limiting factors: the attacker must first achieve application installation or execution via a separate vector (social engineering, a prior vulnerability, or physical device access); SSVC Automatable: no confirms the exploit cannot be delivered at scale over the network; and the specific file paths or service interfaces involved are not disclosed, requiring reverse engineering of the patch to identify precise trigger conditions.

Impact

The CVSS 7.8 score with AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N accurately reflects the exploitation prerequisites: the attacker must already have code executing on the device at low-privilege application level, limiting the realistic attack surface to post-installation scenarios. EPSS of 0.11% (2nd percentile) and SSVC Exploitation: none indicate no active exploitation observed at time of analysis, and SSVC Automatable: no confirms that mass network-level exploitation is not feasible given the local-access requirement. Despite SSVC Technical Impact: total and full C:H/I:H/A:H CVSS impact, the real-world urgency is moderate for most environments because an attacker must first obtain app execution on the target device. The 'multiple locations' framing suggests bundled fixes for a broad architectural pattern, which may complicate complete remediation if OEM vendors carry delayed patch integration. No conflicting signals between available data sources - all indicators consistently point to a locally-exploited, non-automated, high-impact but not imminently weaponized vulnerability.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A malicious application already installed on an affected Android 16 or 17 device calls into a vulnerable privileged system service, crafting requests that cause the service to access restricted file paths using its own elevated credentials rather than the application's. The confused deputy writes attacker-controlled data to a protected system file or reads sensitive credential material outside the application's declared permissions, granting the attacker effective privilege escalation. No public exploit code exists at time of analysis, but the local-access requirement and absence of user interaction make this viable for targeted attacks following initial device compromise.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Android 16 and 17 exploits a confused deputy (CWE-441) vulnerability present across multiple system locations, allowing a low-privileged local process to read and write files it is not authorized to access. An attacker with basic application execution on the device can trigger a privileged system intermediary to operate on restricted files using its own elevated credentials, achieving full local privilege escalation without any user interaction. No public exploit exists at time of analysis, and CISA SSVC assessment confirms no observed active exploitation.

RemediationAI

Apply the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin patches distributed by Google and device OEMs through Android's standard monthly security update mechanism; consult the bulletin at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-09-01 for the precise patched build identifiers, as an exact fix version was not independently confirmed in the available data (patch is available per vendor advisory). Organizations managing Android fleets should prioritize update deployment through MDM/EMM solutions. As a compensating control prior to patching, enforcing strict application allowlisting and preventing installation of untrusted applications reduces the attack surface, since exploitation requires a local low-privileged process to already be executing on the device; note that this control limits the initial access vector but does not address the underlying file-permission bypass.

Affected VersionsENISA

Android 16
Android 16-qpr2
Android 17

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Technical ContextAI · show details

CWE-441 (Unintended Proxy or Intermediary) describes the confused deputy problem: a privileged component acts on behalf of a less-privileged caller without adequately verifying whether the caller is actually authorized for the requested operation. Android's multi-process architecture relies on system services running with elevated privileges to mediate resource access for sandboxed applications. When one or more of these services fails to enforce caller-identity checks before performing file operations, a low-privileged application can effectively borrow the service's credentials to read or write files outside its own permission boundary. The advisory language 'multiple locations' indicates this is a systemic pattern across more than one service or code path rather than a single isolated defect. Affected versions are Android 16, Android 16 QPR2, and Android 17 per EUVD-2026-73971; no CPE string is provided in the available data.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (android) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local access with low app-level privileges (PR:L) required; confused deputy enables full file read/write yielding C:H/I:H/A:H with no scope change.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (android).

CVSS VectorVendor: android

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

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Sep 10, 2026 - 15:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
CVE Published
Sep 08, 2026 - 19:17 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 08, 2026 - 19:17 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In multiple locations, there is a possible read/write access to files without the proper permissions 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

Why It Matters

Android 16 and 17 devices contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability allowing installed applications to access restricted system files. While the technical severity is high, no public exploit or active exploitation has been identified at this time; however, with no vendor patch available, this represents a persistent risk requiring proactive mitigation across your device fleet.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Without an available vendor patch, implement the following interim controls: (1) restrict app installation to Google Play and trusted sources; (2) enforce MDM policies with app allowlisting; (3) disable installation from unknown sources; (4) monitor device logs for unauthorized file access; (5) plan and stage upgrade path to Android 18+ versions; (6) educate users on risks of third-party app installation.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Android is a dominant mobile OS with billions of active devices globally.
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
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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