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Android fsck EUVDEUVD-2026-74004

| CVE-2026-45531 HIGH
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-09-08 security@android.com GHSA-89v2-4jp2-7ch8
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
    Establish low-privilege Android foothold
  2. Delivery
    Craft malformed filesystem image
  3. Exploit
    Trigger fsck read_boot_region on controlled input
  4. Execution
    Heap buffer overflows into adjacent metadata
  5. Persist
    Overwrite control structures or function pointers
  6. Impact
    Execute code with escalated system privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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 already have a low-privilege execution context on the target Android device (consistent with PR:L in the CVSS vector). The attacker must be able to supply or influence the filesystem data processed by read_boot_region in fsck.c - this typically occurs when a privileged process invokes the filesystem checker on attacker-influenced storage. No additional execution privileges beyond this initial foothold are required, and no user interaction is needed once the attacker has local access. Exploitation is non-automatable per SSVC, meaning it cannot be reliably triggered at scale without per-target crafting. Unaffected configurations: devices running Android versions prior to 14 or that have applied the 2026-09-01 security patch level.

Impact

The CVSS 7.8 (High) vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H accurately reflects the local-only attack surface but correctly scores full C/I/A impact post-escalation. Requiring local access with low privileges (PR:L) significantly narrows real-world risk compared to remote vulnerabilities - an attacker needs an existing foothold on the device. EPSS at 0.12% (2nd percentile) confirms no current exploitation trend. SSVC rates technical impact as total but automatable as 'no' and exploitation status as 'none', consistent with a local-only, manually triggered attack requiring a crafted filesystem artifact. No CISA KEV listing and no public POC further reduce near-term urgency. The primary concern is chained exploitation: an attacker who has already compromised a low-privilege Android process (e.g., via a browser or app vulnerability) could use this to escape the app sandbox and gain system-level privileges.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already achieved low-privilege code execution on an Android device - for example, via a malicious application or a browser exploit - crafts a malformed filesystem image targeting the read_boot_region parsing path in fsck.c. The heap overflow corrupts memory adjacent to the buffer, allowing the attacker to redirect execution flow and escalate to system-level privileges without any additional user interaction. No public proof-of-concept is currently available, making this primarily a risk in targeted, multi-stage attacks.

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

Heap buffer overflow in the read_boot_region function of Android's filesystem check utility (fsck.c) allows a local, low-privileged process to escalate privileges with full system impact. The flaw spans Android 14 through 17 (including QPR2 branches) and was disclosed in Google's September 2026 Android Security Bulletin. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and EPSS signals a very low current exploitation probability.

RemediationAI

Apply the Android security patches released in the 2026-09-01 Android Security Bulletin, available at https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-09-01. OEM device manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc.) must integrate and distribute these patches through their own update channels; patch delivery timelines vary by vendor. Users should apply device firmware updates as soon as OEM-validated builds become available. As a compensating control while patches are pending, restrict untrusted application installation (disable sideloading via 'Unknown Sources') to reduce the likelihood of an attacker establishing the initial low-privilege foothold needed to trigger this flaw. This control reduces but does not eliminate risk, as a compromised legitimate application could also be the entry vector.

Affected VersionsENISA

Android 17
Android 14
Android 16-qpr2
Android 15
Android 16

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability resides in fsck.c, the Android filesystem consistency-check utility. The read_boot_region function performs a heap-allocated read of filesystem boot sector data without adequate bounds checking, constituting a classic CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow). By supplying or influencing a malformed filesystem image or partition, an attacker can cause the buffer read to exceed its allocated heap region, corrupting adjacent heap metadata or function pointers. On Android, this class of heap corruption in a privileged utility is a well-established path to privilege escalation. Affected CPEs cover Android 14, 15, 16, 16-qpr2, and 17 as enumerated in EUVD-2026-74004.

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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-only attack with low-privilege requirement; full C/I/A after escalation; scope unchanged as the escalation occurs within Android's privilege model.

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 read_boot_region of fsck.c, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a heap buffer overflow. 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 heap buffer overflow in Android's filesystem check utility (CVE-2026-45531, CVSS 7.8) affects Android versions 14 through 17, allowing local, low-privileged processes to escalate to full system access. While current exploitation probability is very low (EPSS 0.1%), the flaw impacts hundreds of millions of deployed devices globally, and no vendor patch is currently available. Organizations must implement interim controls and monitor for patch availability.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Implement SELinux mandatory access control policies to restrict fsck operation privileges, deploy runtime security monitoring for filesystem check utility execution, restrict the capabilities of low-privilege processes to limit escalation pathway exploitation, monitor system audit logs for suspicious fsck.c activity, and expedite deployment immediately upon vendor patch availability.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Android is the world's most widely deployed mobile OS
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
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.

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.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

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