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Google Android EUVDEUVD-2026-79153

| CVE-2026-0189 HIGH
Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693)
2026-09-15 Google_Devices GHSA-j2vm-rm98-487h
8.4
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Google_Devices
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Install or run unprivileged app on device
  2. Exploit
    Invoke flawed ac_init_policy path in init.c
  3. Execution
    Trigger logic error bypassing permission check
  4. Impact
    Gain elevated privileges silently

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 local code execution on an affected Android/Pixel device: the attacker must run an unprivileged app or process that reaches the ac_init_policy initialization path in init.c. No authentication beyond app installation, no user interaction (UI:N), and no additional execution privileges are needed (PR:N per vector), which makes the local barrier low once any foothold exists. Limiting factors: exploitation is strictly local (no remote/network vector), it is scoped to devices running the affected Android/Pixel builds, and the attacker must first get code onto the device (e.g., a malicious app). No special non-default configuration is indicated.

Impact

This is a local Android privilege-escalation flaw (CWE-693 logic error in ac_init_policy of init.c) scored 8.4 by the vendor with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The signals are internally consistent and point to a genuine-but-locally-scoped issue rather than a mass-exploitation threat: the attack vector is Local (AV:L), so no network exposure exists, and exploitation requires an attacker to already be running code on the device. Notably, the vector sets PR:N and the description states 'no additional execution privileges needed' plus 'user interaction is not needed' - meaning an unprivileged local process can trigger the bypass, which justifies the elevated 8.4 despite the local vector. EPSS is very low at 0.13% (3rd percentile), there is no CISA KEV listing and no public POC, indicating no observed or predicted widespread exploitation. The C:H/I:H/A:H impact triad is somewhat generous for a permission-bypass EoP but is the standard Android bulletin scoring convention. Net: a legitimate patch-worthy local EoP but not an emergency internet-facing priority; it matters most in multi-app or malware-delivery threat models. No conflicting signals - the CVSS local vector matches the description's 'local escalation of privilege' wording.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A malicious or compromised low-privilege app installed on an affected Android/Pixel device invokes the flawed ac_init_policy logic path in init.c, exploiting the permission-bypass logic error to gain elevated privileges it was not granted. No user interaction and no additional execution privileges are required, so the escalation can happen silently in the background. No public exploit code 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 16, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Google Android's init process allows an unprivileged local app to bypass an access-control policy and gain elevated privileges on affected Android/Pixel builds. The root cause is a logic error in the ac_init_policy routine in init.c, tracked as CWE-693 (protection mechanism failure), and the vendor scores it 8.4 with vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - no user interaction, no privileges required (PR:N), and no non-default configuration needed, though the attack is strictly local and requires the attacker to first get code running on the device. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and EPSS is low (0.13%, 3rd percentile), so active exploitation is not confirmed; a fix is covered by the September 2026 Android/Pixel security bulletin.

RemediationAI

Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the Android/Pixel security update that contains the fix for CVE-2026-0189, published in the September 2026 bulletin cycle (https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-09-01), and confirm the device or fleet security patch level reflects that bulletin; enterprise-managed devices should be updated via their MDM/EMM pipeline rather than relying on user-initiated OTA. Where patching is delayed, compensating controls must target the local-execution prerequisite, because the vector is local and network filtering does nothing here: disable or restrict per-app 'Install unknown apps'/sideloading and enforce Google Play Protect verification to reduce the chance of a malicious app reaching ac_init_policy (trade-off: limits developer and sideloading workflows); keep untrusted or unvetted applications out of work profiles and use managed configurations to constrain which apps can run on sensitive devices (trade-off: operational overhead and reduced user flexibility); and monitor for anomalous privilege or policy changes at the init/system level with host-based integrity monitoring where supported (trade-off: telemetry coverage on Android is limited without root or OEM tooling). None of these controls eliminate the underlying logic error, so they should be treated as interim risk reduction only, and the low EPSS (0.13%) suggests prioritization can scale with device criticality rather than triggering emergency response.

Affected VersionsENISA

Android Android kernel

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw lives in init.c, part of Android's init process (PID 1), which is responsible for early-boot setup including property initialization and the establishment of access-control policy for system components and services. ac_init_policy is an initialization path that installs or configures such policy; a logic error there means the policy is not applied as intended, producing a permission bypass rather than a memory-safety violation. This is why it is classified CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure): the protection mechanism itself (policy/access-control initialization) is faulty, not the data it handles, so memory-hardening mitigations such as ASLR, CFI, or stack canaries are effectively irrelevant to this bug class. Per the CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:android:*:*:*:*:*:*:* and the ENISA EUVD affected-version data ('Android Android kernel'), the affected surface is Android platform builds - including Pixel images - that contain the vulnerable init code path. The reported CVSS vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H: local access, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact once the bypass is achieved.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Google_Devices) PRIMARY 8.4 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.4 HIGH

Local unprivileged trigger with no UI justifies AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N; C:H/I:H/A:H follows Android EoP convention though generous for a permission bypass.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (Google_Devices).

CVSS VectorVendor: Google_Devices

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

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Sep 16, 2026 - 17:22 NVD
8.4 (HIGH)
CVE Published
Sep 15, 2026 - 18:33 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 15, 2026 - 18:33 cve.org
HIGH 8.4

DescriptionCVE.org

In ac_init_policy of init.c, there is a possible permission bypass 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 high-severity privilege-escalation flaw in Google Android's init process affects Android and Pixel builds, allowing an application already installed on a device to break out of its sandbox and gain elevated control of that handset. Because no vendor-released patch has been identified, every affected device in the corporate and BYOD mobile estate remains exposed until the vendor's September 2026 Android/Pixel security bulletin is applied. Leadership should care because a compromised mobile endpoint can expose corporate email, credentials, and sensitive data while remaining invisible to network-based defenses that do not inspect on-device privilege changes.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: restrict app installation to approved sources and disable sideloading on managed Android/Pixel devices, enforce Google Play Protect scanning, tighten MDM/EMM app allowlists and configuration policies, inventory and isolate devices with unvetted applications, and monitor for anomalous on-device privilege changes until the September 2026 Android/Pixel security bulletin can be applied.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 97% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Android/Pixel platform CVE, very large device footprint but Pixel-bulletin scoped
Data Quality
4 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· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

42
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +42
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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