dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9369

HIGH · 7.3 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 →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 bootloader there is fastboot command allowing user specified kernel command line arguments. This could lead to local escalation of privilege 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

In the Android bootloader, a fastboot command allows users to specify arbitrary kernel command line arguments. This can be exploited to gain local privilege escalation by modifying boot parameters (such as adding 'root=' to mount a malicious filesystem) without requiring additional execution privileges, though user interaction (initiating the fastboot command) is needed.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided bootloader/firmware update that restricts fastboot from accepting kernel command line arguments or implements proper validation; until patched, avoid using fastboot commands on untrusted devices.

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: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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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. Confirm the device runs Android
    Check the system properties or /system/build.prop file for 'ro.build.fingerprint' or check /proc/version for Android-related strings
    Affected if The device is not running Android OS - this vulnerability only applies to Android bootloaders
  2. Identify the bootloader version
    Use 'fastboot getvar version' or 'fastboot getvar all' to retrieve the bootloader version and build date
    Affected if The bootloader version is unpatched - there is no specific patch version listed, but any bootloader missing the CVE-2018-9369 fix is vulnerable; compare against Google's monthly security bulletins for the patch date (March 2018 or later)
  3. Check if fastboot is accessible
    Attempt to enter fastboot mode by pressing hardware key combination during reboot or running 'adb reboot bootloader'
    Affected if Fastboot mode is accessible on the device - the vulnerability requires an attacker to issue fastboot commands, so an inaccessible fastboot interface reduces exposure
  4. Verify bootloader allows cmdline modification
    In fastboot mode, attempt 'fastboot oem config kernel cmdline' or check if 'fastboot boot' with custom --cmdline is accepted without error
    Affected if The bootloader accepts arbitrary kernel command line arguments without validation - this is the vulnerable condition that allows privilege escalation via 'root=' parameter manipulation

A user is affected if the device runs Android with an unpatched bootloader that permits fastboot to accept arbitrary kernel command line arguments, as this enables local privilege escalation through boot parameter manipulation.

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

Apply the vendor-provided bootloader/firmware update that restricts fastboot from accepting kernel command line arguments or implements proper validation; until patched, avoid using fastboot commands on untrusted devices.

Recommended fix High confidence

Any Android version with December 2018 security patch level or later

  1. Check your device's current Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level
  2. If the patch level is earlier than December 2018, check if your device manufacturer has released an update
  3. Apply the December 2018 Android security update or later via Settings > System > Software Update (or manufacturer-specific update mechanism)
  4. Verify the security patch level shows December 2018 or later after update

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,900
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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-2018-9369 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
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