CVE-2018-9558 : Security Advisory and Response

Android NFC Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2018-9558

What is CVE-2018-9558?

The CVE-2018-9558 vulnerability is a privilege escalation issue in the Android NFC kernel that allows for local privilege escalation without the need for additional execution privileges, although user interaction is required for exploitation.

The Impact of CVE-2018-9558

This vulnerability could potentially lead to the local escalation of privileges in the NFC kernel of affected Android devices, impacting user data security and system integrity.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-9558

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability exists in the function rw_t2t_handle_tlv_detect in the file rw_t2t_ndef.cc, where an out-of-bounds write may occur, posing a security risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Android
Affected Versions: Android 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, 8.1, 9

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability does not require additional execution privileges but necessitates user interaction for exploitation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Google promptly.
Avoid interacting with unknown or suspicious NFC tags.
Regularly update the Android operating system to the latest version.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict NFC usage policies within organizations.
Educate users on safe NFC interaction practices.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security bulletins and updates from Google.