Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain code execution as System user
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ExploitInvoke flawed ac_init_one_sswrp in init.c
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ExecutionTrigger logic error during initialization
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ImpactEscalate privileges beyond System scope
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 | Exploitation requires the attacker to already possess System execution privileges on the device (PR:H) and local access (AV:L) to reach the ac_init_one_sswrp initialization path in init.c; no user interaction is needed. This is a post-compromise privilege-escalation primitive, not a remote or unauthenticated vector - the pre-existing System-level foothold is the primary limiting factor, sharply narrowing realistic exploitation to attackers who have already breached a highly privileged process. Applies to affected Android/Pixel builds patched in the 2026-09-01 bulletin. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but low-priority vulnerability. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, vendor base 6.7 Medium) is internally consistent with the description: a local (AV:L) logic error requiring the attacker to ALREADY hold System execution privileges (PR:H) with no user interaction. The high PR requirement is the decisive risk-limiter - an attacker who already runs as System has extensive control, so the marginal escalation this grants is narrow, which is why the score lands at Medium rather than the 8.4 seen on the PR:N unprivileged Android siblings this month. The C:H/I:H/A:H impact triad is generous boilerplate typical of Android bulletin entries. EPSS is very low at 0.12% (2nd percentile), consistent with no automation potential given the local + high-privilege prerequisites. Exploitation status: no public exploit identified at time of analysis (no KEV, no POC). No SSVC decision data was provided. Signals are consistent across the board (low EPSS, no KEV, high PR, local vector all point the same direction) - no conflicts to flag. Net: a real defense-in-depth fix worth patching in the normal Android update cycle, not an emergency. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has already achieved code execution in a process running with Android System privileges invokes the flawed ac_init_one_sswrp logic path in init.c to escalate further within the platform. No user interaction is required, but the high pre-existing privilege prerequisite makes this a post-compromise escalation step rather than an initial-access vector. No public proof-of-concept is available. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 16, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Android kernel's ac_init_one_sswrp() initialization routine (init.c) allows an attacker who already holds System execution privileges on an affected Android/Pixel device to escalate further by abusing a logic error in the code, with no user interaction required. Because the assessed vector is AV:L/PR:H, this is a post-compromise escalation primitive rather than a remote or unauthenticated entry point - the pre-existing System-level foothold is the primary limiting factor, which sharply narrows realistic exploitation to attackers who have already breached a highly privileged process. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing was identified at time of analysis, EPSS is very low (0.12%, roughly the 2nd percentile), and Google has shipped a fix in the September 2026 Pixel bulletin (2026-09-01) - consistent with a genuine but low-priority issue.
RemediationAI
The primary fix is vendor-released: apply the Android Security Bulletin for Pixel dated 2026-09-01 (https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-09-01) and update affected devices to a build carrying the 2026-09-01 or later security patch level - patching is the only action that removes the flawed ac_init_one_sswrp logic, and there is no publicly documented configuration toggle that disables the specific routine. Because exploitation requires local access plus an already-obtained System execution privilege (AV:L/PR:H), the realistic compensating controls target the precursor foothold rather than the bug itself: keep developer options and USB debugging/adb disabled on production devices (side effect: no on-device debugging, which complicates field diagnostics), enforce and keep SELinux in enforcing mode and bootloader locked with verified boot (side effect: blocks legitimate custom ROM/root workflows), and minimize the number and privilege surface of System-signed/preinstalled services and any high-privilege app with shell or system-UID access (side effect: may break vendor telemetry or OEM service apps that rely on those privileges). Removing or blocking third-party root/system-level tooling reduces the chance an attacker can reach the PR:H precondition, but none of these controls remediate the underlying logic error, so patch deployment to the 2026-09-01 patch level remains the required step; note that no vendor-released workaround or mitigation configuration was identified in the available advisory references.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is a logic error in ac_init_one_sswrp within init.c, an initialization-path routine that sets up an 'sswrp' subsystem component during kernel/driver bring-up. Rather than a memory-safety bug (overflow, use-after-free), the root cause is classified as CWE-693, Protection Mechanism Failure: an intended privilege or access-control safeguard in that initialization logic does not function as designed, so a caller that already runs with System privileges can leverage the mis-ordered or improperly validated code path to obtain higher (kernel-level) execution. The reported CVSS:3.1 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms the boundaries of the issue: local access only, low attack complexity once the prerequisite foothold exists, a High privilege requirement, no user interaction, and High confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact confined to the same security scope. Attribution to Google_Devices and the generic CPE (cpe:2.3:a:google:android:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) indicate the affected component ships across Android builds carried on Pixel devices, with the EUVD record (EUVD-2026-79151) describing the impacted stack generically as the Android kernel.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local logic error requiring pre-existing System privileges gives AV:L/PR:H; no UI needed; I accept vendor C/I/A:H though it is generous for an already-privileged attacker.
Primary rating from Vendor (Google_Devices).
CVSS VectorVendor: Google_Devices
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
In ac_init_one_sswrp of init.c, there is a possible escalation of privilege due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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-2026-79151
GHSA-297p-5qhw-w445
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
Exploit-DB