dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9348

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
In SMF_ParseMetaEvent of eas_smf.c, there is a possible integer overflow. This could lead to remote denial of service due to resource exhaustion with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.

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 · moderate confidence

An integer overflow vulnerability exists in the SMF_ParseMetaEvent function when parsing Standard MIDI File (SMF) metadata events. The overflow occurs during size calculation or memory allocation, potentially causing excessive resource consumption. Successful exploitation leads to denial of service via resource exhaustion when a user opens a specially crafted MIDI file.

MitigationImplement proper bounds checking and validation of size fields before arithmetic operations in the SMF parser. Ensure that any size calculations are validated against reasonable limits and cannot overflow. Apply any available vendor patches for the affected library.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 6.0= 6.0.1= 7.0= 7.1.1= 7.1.2= 8.0= 8.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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. Verify Android version is affected
    Check the device or build system Android version via 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or Settings > About Phone > Android version. Compare against 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, or 8.1.
    Affected if The device runs Android 6.0 through 8.1 inclusive.
  2. Identify MIDI file parsing capability
    Audit installed applications or system services that handle Standard MIDI Files (.mid, .smf extensions). Look for music apps, MIDI players, DAW apps, or any app that imports MIDI content.
    Affected if Any application that parses SMF files is installed and active on the device.
  3. Confirm SMF parser library presence
    Search for libsmf or MIDI parsing libraries in /system/lib or within application APK files. Use 'find /system -name *smf*' or inspect app native libraries.
    Affected if The SMF_ParseMetaEvent function or related MIDI parsing library exists in the system or app.
  4. Check for exposed attack surface
    Review which apps can receive or open MIDI file attachments (email clients, file managers, music apps, browsers). Determine if any app automatically processes received files.
    Affected if Users can open untrusted MIDI files through any installed application.

A user is affected if their Android device runs version 6.0 through 8.1 and they have any application that parses Standard MIDI Files, allowing them to open potentially malicious .mid files.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement proper bounds checking and validation of size fields before arithmetic operations in the SMF parser. Ensure that any size calculations are validated against reasonable limits and cannot overflow. Apply any available vendor patches for the affected library.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later; ideally the latest available Android version with current security patches

  1. 1. Check the current Android version on the affected device by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. 2. If the device is running Android 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, or 7.1.1, check if a system update is available via Settings > System > Software Update
  3. 3. If an official update is available, download and install it to receive the security patch containing the fix for CVE-2018-9348
  4. 4. If no official update is available from the device manufacturer, consider upgrading to a device that receives active security updates
  5. 5. As a mitigation, avoid opening untrusted MIDI/SMF files from unknown sources until the device is updated
Caveat Upgrading Android versions may result in app compatibility issues with older applications; some apps may no longer function properly on newer Android versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2018-9348 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data