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Android EUVDEUVD-2026-73981

| CVE-2026-28642 HIGH
Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693)
2026-09-08 security@android.com GHSA-7pc8-hq85-3cp3
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 malicious app with standard permissions
  2. Delivery
    Invoke executeRequest in ActivityStarter.java
  3. Exploit
    Trigger BAL restriction logic error
  4. Execution
    Launch unauthorized background activity
  5. Impact
    Escalate to full device privileges (C:H/I:H/A:H)

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Protection mechanism completeness
Exploitation Conditions

Requires a locally-installed application on the target Android device running Android 14, 15, 16, or 16-qpr2; the installed app needs only standard (PR:L) application-level permissions - no root, no special system permissions, and no elevated access are required beyond what any installed app holds. The attack vector is strictly local (AV:L): the attacker must have already achieved code execution on the device, most practically via a malicious app the user has installed. No user interaction is required after app installation (UI:N per CVSS). Exploitation is limited by the local-only vector (no remote exploitation path), and SSVC's automatable: no designation indicates the specific logic error path in executeRequest may require targeted invocation rather than trivial fire-and-forget triggering across heterogeneous Android builds.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H reflects a locally exploitable privilege escalation requiring only standard app-level permissions with no user interaction post-installation, yielding full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise. EPSS at 0.12% (2nd percentile) indicates very low current exploitation probability, and the SSVC exploitation status of 'none' corroborates no known active abuse. The SSVC technical impact of 'total' and automatable 'no' suggest that while the consequences are severe if exploited, reliable triggering of the logic error path likely requires some targeting effort. There is no KEV listing and no public POC, so immediate emergency response is not warranted; however, even a mid-sized municipal IT team in sopot managing a fleet of Android devices used for sensitive operations should treat patch deployment as an urgent cycle given the potential for full device compromise with no user interaction. The gap between low EPSS and high CVSS/SSVC impact is explained by the local-only attack vector - Android's ecosystem means most exploitation attempts would require a malicious app to be installed first, which limits automated mass exploitation.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker distributes a malicious Android application - through sideloading or potentially via a third-party marketplace - that, once installed on a victim's device, invokes the vulnerable executeRequest path in ActivityStarter.java to launch a privileged background activity. The application requires no user interaction beyond initial installation and uses only standard app-level permissions to trigger the logic error, ultimately gaining full control over the device's data and functionality. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis.

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

Privilege escalation in Android's ActivityStarter component (Android 14 through 16-qpr2) allows a locally-installed application with standard permissions to launch background activities outside Android's background launch restrictions, achieving full device compromise. The flaw resides in the executeRequest method of ActivityStarter.java, where a logic error fails to properly enforce the protection mechanism (CWE-693) that prevents unauthorized background activity launches. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis; EPSS stands at 0.12% (2nd percentile), consistent with the SSVC exploitation status of none.

RemediationAI

Apply the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin patches, referenced at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-09-01. Because Android patches are distributed through OEM and carrier update channels, administrators should enforce a minimum Android security patch level policy via Mobile Device Management (MDM) to ensure all managed devices running Android 14 through 16-qpr2 receive the fix. No specific patch version beyond the September 2026 bulletin date is independently confirmed from the available input data. As a compensating control where patching is delayed, restricting installation of applications from untrusted sources (disabling 'Install unknown apps') reduces the attack surface, though it does not eliminate risk from Play Store-distributed malware. Privilege access management policies that enforce allowlists of permitted applications provide additional layered defense.

Affected VersionsENISA

Android 14
Android 15
Android 16
Android 16-qpr2

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

ActivityStarter.java is a core component of the Android Activity Manager framework, responsible for processing and validating requests to start new activities. Android introduced background activity launch restrictions (BAL) in Android 10 to prevent background processes from arbitrarily pushing new UI activities to the foreground without user awareness. CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure) identifies the root cause: the logic error in executeRequest fails to correctly apply or evaluate the BAL restriction checks, allowing a background app to bypass this intended security boundary. The vulnerability is reported by the Android security team (security@android.com) and documented in the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin, covering Android 14, 15, 16, and 16-qpr2. No CPE strings were supplied in the input data.

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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 exploitation by any installed app (PR:L); no user interaction after installation; full C/I/A reflects complete privilege escalation to device control.

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
HIGH 7.8
CVE Published
Sep 08, 2026 - 19:17 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

In executeRequest of ActivityStarter.java, there is a possible background activity launch due to a logic error in the code. 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

A privilege escalation vulnerability in Android versions 14 through 16-qpr2 allows locally installed applications to bypass background activity restrictions and achieve full device compromise. All organizational users running affected Android versions face critical risk, as any application-legitimate or malicious-could gain complete unauthorized control over device data and functionality.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. For devices unable to receive vendor updates: implement Mobile Device Management (MDM) application whitelisting permitting only explicitly approved corporate applications; enable Google Play Protect to maximum detection sensitivity; require device hardening using Samsung Knox or Google Play Integrity verification where available; monitor device behavior for signs of unauthorized activity. Plan device replacement for hardware reaching end-of-vendor-support. These controls significantly mitigate but do not eliminate exploitation risk.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
dominant global mobile OS, billions of active devices
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Very 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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