dbcve.org
Zenfone 3 Max FirmwareOperating system · Asus

CVE-2018-14980

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-04-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max Android device with a build fingerprint of asus/US_Phone/ASUS_X008_1:7.0/NRD90M/US_Phone-14.14.1711.92-20171208:user/release-keys contains the android framework (i.e., system_server) with a package name of android (versionCode=24, versionName=7.0) that has been modified by ASUS or another entity in the supply chain. The system_server process in the core android package has an exported broadcast receiver that allows any app co-located on the device to programmatically initiate the taking of a screenshot and have the resulting screenshot be written to external storage (i.e., sdcard). The taking of a screenshot is not transparent to the user; the device has a screen animation as the screenshot is taken and there is a notification indicating that a screenshot occurred. If the attacking app also requests the EXPAND_STATUS_BAR permission, it can wake the device up using certain techniques and expand the status bar to take a screenshot of the user's notifications even if the device has an active screen lock. The notifications may contain sensitive data such as text messages used in two-factor authentication. The system_server process that provides this capability cannot be disabled, as it is part of the Android framework. The notification can be removed by a local Denial of Service (DoS) attack to reboot the device.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max contains a modified Android framework (system_server) with an exported broadcast receiver that permits any locally-installed app to trigger screenshot capture and write the image to external storage. When combined with the EXPAND_STATUS_BAR permission, an attacker can wake the device, expand the status bar, and capture screenshots of notifications (including sensitive 2FA SMS codes) even when the screen is locked.

MitigationApply any ASUS-provided firmware/security updates for the ZenFone 3 Max that address this modified framework issue; if no patch is available, consider device replacement as the system_server component cannot be disabled or patched locally.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Zenfone 3 Max FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm device model
    Check the device model number in Settings > About Phone (model number should be ZC520TL, ZC553KL, or other ZenFone 3 Max variants)
    Affected if Device is any ASUS ZenFone 3 Max model (ZC520TL, ZC553KL, etc.)
  2. Check firmware version
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Software information and note the firmware/build number
    Affected if All firmware versions are affected as the vulnerability exists in the modified system_server framework
  3. Verify security patch level
    Check Settings > About Phone > Security patch level to see the date of the last security update
    Affected if Security patch level is earlier than any ASUS update addressing this specific framework modification (no specific patch date documented)
  4. Identify the vulnerable component
    This vulnerability resides in the modified system_server within the Android framework. Detection requires analyzing the system_server APK for an exported broadcast receiver that allows screenshot triggering without user interaction. This check typically requires root access or firmware analysis capabilities.
    Affected if The modified system_server with the exported broadcast receiver is present (this is inherent to all ZenFone 3 Max firmware versions)

If the device is an ASUS ZenFone 3 Max (any model number), it is affected by this vulnerability as all firmware versions contain the modified framework with the exported broadcast receiver.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply any ASUS-provided firmware/security updates for the ZenFone 3 Max that address this modified framework issue; if no patch is available, consider device replacement as the system_server component cannot be disabled or patched locally.

Fix this in Zenfone 3 Max Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-14980 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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