Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessInstall malicious low-privilege app on Android device
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DeliveryDraw transparent overlay over IntentForwarderActivity resolver UI
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ExploitTrigger buildMiniResolver cross-profile intent flow
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ExecutionFramework registers overlay input as user consent
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PersistBypass cross-profile authorization check
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ImpactAchieve full C:H/I:H/A:H privilege escalation
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V3 - Web Frontend Security Redirect URL validation
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Initial Access The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a malicious application to be locally installed on the target Android device with at least low-level permissions (AV:L/PR:L per CVSS). The attack specifically targets Android's cross-profile intent-forwarding consent flow in buildMiniResolver, making devices configured with both personal and managed work profiles (Android Enterprise deployments) the most directly exposed. The description explicitly states 'User interaction is not needed,' meaning the attacker does not need to trick the victim into tapping anything - the bypass is mechanically triggered by the overlay at the framework level. Factors that limit exploitation: (1) the attacker must have already achieved initial app installation on the device, via sideloading, social engineering, or a preceding compromise; (2) the attack is not remotely automatable (SSVC Automatable=no; requires on-device execution); (3) exploitation is bounded to Android 14-17 prior to the September 2026 SPL. Devices without work profiles configured have a reduced but not eliminated attack surface, as IntentForwarderActivity may still be exercised in other cross-profile contexts. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) establishes a local attack surface requiring only a low-privilege installed application, but with full C/I/A impact once exploited. The UI:N metric is notable and somewhat atypical for tapjacking - classical tapjacking usually involves tricking a user into clicking, whereas UI:N suggests the bypass is mechanically driven against the framework without requiring explicit victim interaction beyond the malicious app already running. SSVC rates Technical Impact as 'total' (consistent with full C:H/I:H/A:H) but Automatable as 'no,' which aligns with AV:L (on-device installation prerequisite prevents remote mass exploitation). EPSS at 0.12% (2nd percentile) is very low, consistent with the absence of public exploit code and no CISA KEV listing. Real-world priority is elevated for enterprise Android deployments using managed work profiles, where cross-profile intent forwarding is actively exercised; for consumer devices without work profiles, the directly exploitable attack surface is reduced. The combination of high technical impact and low exploitation barrier (AC:L, PR:L) once an app is installed makes this a meaningful lateral movement or privilege escalation vector in a broader attack chain. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker distributes a malicious Android application (sideloaded or via a secondary compromise vector) onto a target device running Android 14-17. Once the app is installed and running with low-level permissions, it draws a transparent overlay window timed to appear over the buildMiniResolver consent dialog when a cross-profile intent is triggered. The framework registers what it interprets as user consent, forwards the cross-profile intent without genuine authorization, and the malicious application gains elevated access across the personal/work profile boundary achieving full C:H/I:H/A:H impact. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026
Privilege escalation in Android's cross-profile intent-forwarding mechanism (IntentForwarderActivity.java) allows a locally installed low-privilege application to bypass the user consent dialog presented by buildMiniResolver via a tapjacking or overlay attack, achieving full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact across Android 14 through 17 including the QPR2 train. The vendor explicitly states no user interaction is required, indicating the consent bypass is mechanically triggered against the framework rather than requiring the victim to tap attacker-crafted UI. No public exploit or CISA KEV listing exists at time of analysis; EPSS of 0.12% (2nd percentile) and SSVC Automatable=no confirm no observed mass exploitation.
RemediationAI
Apply the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin patches (security patch level 2026-09-01 or later). OEM device manufacturers must integrate and distribute the patch via their respective update channels; end users should verify their device is running the 2026-09-01 SPL or later under Settings → About Phone → Android Security Update. No exact patched build version beyond the SPL designation is confirmed in available data. For enterprise environments managing Android work-profile deployments, a compensating control is to restrict or audit cross-profile intent-forwarding policies via MDM (Mobile Device Management) configuration; this limits exploitability at the cost of reduced cross-profile application interoperability. Additionally, enforcing application allowlisting on managed devices via policy reduces the risk of a malicious app being installed in the first place.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
IntentForwarderActivity is the Android framework component responsible for routing cross-profile intents - forwarding actions between a user's personal profile and a managed work profile (or vice versa). The buildMiniResolver method constructs the resolver UI presented to users when a cross-profile action requires explicit consent. A tapjacking attack (also called touch hijacking) exploits Android's input dispatch mechanism by having a malicious app draw a transparent or translucent overlay window positioned precisely over the consent dialog at the moment it appears, causing the system to attribute input events to the attacker's layer rather than the legitimate UI. CWE-601 (URL Redirect to Untrusted Site) is the assigned weakness class; however, CWE-1021 (Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Layers or Frames) is a materially more precise characterization of a tapjacking/overlay vector. The cross-profile intent context means devices enrolled in Android Enterprise with work profiles are directly in scope. Affected CPE strings are not individually enumerated in the available data; affected versions confirmed via EUVD are Android 14, 15, 16, 16-QPR2, and 17.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:L and PR:L because exploitation requires a locally installed app; UI:N per vendor statement; full C/I/A reflects cross-profile privilege escalation with no scope change.
Primary rating from Vendor (android).
CVSS VectorVendor: android
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
In buildMiniResolver of IntentForwarderActivity.java, there is a possible consent bypass 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.
Executive ViewAI
Android devices running versions 14 through 17 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows installed applications to bypass user consent controls and gain unauthorized access to device data and functions. Organizations managing Android deployments face elevated risk to data confidentiality and device integrity; however, current real-world exploitation remains minimal, and patches are not yet available.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Implement MDM policies restricting application installation to official app stores (Google Play Store), enable and enforce Google Play Protect scanning, block sideloading capabilities, block installation of non-approved applications, restrict app permissions to minimum necessary, and monitor logs for exploitation indicators. Provide user education on installation risks and avoid granting unnecessary permissions to installed applications.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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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EUVD-2026-73975
GHSA-c33q-xxp2-hq7x
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB