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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9375

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
In multiple functions of UserDictionaryProvider.java, there is a possible way to add and delete words in the user dictionary due to a confused deputy. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not 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 · high confidence

In multiple functions of UserDictionaryProvider.java, a confused deputy vulnerability allows a local attacker to add and delete words in the user dictionary without proper permission validation, leading to local privilege escalation. No user interaction or additional execution privileges are required for exploitation.

MitigationThis vulnerability requires a platform-level fix in the Android framework. Users should apply available system updates. Developers should review permission handling in content provider implementations to ensure proper permission checks before allowing data modifications.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Identify Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' in a shell or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if The version displayed equals 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, or 8.1
  2. Check SDK version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.sdk' to get the numeric SDK version. Affected SDK values are: 23 (6.0), 24 (6.0.1), 25 (7.0), 27 (7.1.1/7.1.2), 26 (8.0), 27 (8.1)
    Affected if The SDK version matches any of the values corresponding to the affected Android releases listed in the CVE
  3. Verify UserDictionaryProvider presence
    Check if the UserDictionary content provider exists by examining /data/data/com.android.providers.userdictionary/ or checking app permissions in Settings > Apps > All > User Dictionary
    Affected if The UserDictionaryProvider is present and accessible on the device

A device is affected if it runs Android version 6.0 through 8.1 and contains the UserDictionaryProvider component, since the vulnerability allows unauthorized modification of the user dictionary without proper permission checks.

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

This vulnerability requires a platform-level fix in the Android framework. Users should apply available system updates. Developers should review permission handling in content provider implementations to ensure proper permission checks before allowing data modifications.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later with July 2018 security patch level

  1. 1. Check the current Android version on the affected device by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. 2. Upgrade the device to Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later, which includes the security patch for this vulnerability
  3. 3. Alternatively, ensure the device receives the latest Android security update available from the device manufacturer
  4. 4. Verify the security patch level is at least "July 2018" or later by checking Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  5. 5. If the device cannot be upgraded to a supported Android version, contact the device manufacturer for available security updates or consider replacing the device
Caveat Upgrading to a newer Android version may remove support for older applications or cause compatibility issues with legacy device features; manufacturer support varies by device

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2018-9375 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data