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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9392

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
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
In get_binary of vendor/mediatek/proprietary/hardware/connectivity/gps/gps_hal/src/data_coder.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System 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 the get_binary function of MediaTek's GPS Hardware Abstraction Layer (data_coder.c), a missing bounds check allows an out-of-bounds write. This occurs when processing binary data without validating buffer limits, potentially allowing a privileged (System-level) attacker to corrupt memory and escalate privileges locally.

MitigationAdd proper bounds validation before any buffer write operations in the get_binary function to ensure data length does not exceed destination buffer capacity. Apply the fix through MediaTek's vendor patch process.

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 MediaTek chipset usage
    Check /proc/cpuinfo for 'MediaTek' or 'MTK' in the hardware information, or check system property ro.hardware for mtk values
    Affected if Device uses a MediaTek chipset - only MediaTek-based Android devices are affected
  2. Locate MediaTek GPS HAL library
    Search for MediaTek GPS library files in /system/lib/ or /vendor/lib/ - typical names include libgps_mtk.so, libmtk_gps.so, or similar GPS HAL implementations from MediaTek
    Affected if MediaTek GPS HAL library is present on the device
  3. Determine GPS HAL component version
    Check the build info or version metadata of the MediaTek GPS library - use 'ls -la' on the library file or check any version strings within the binary using strings command
    Affected if Unable to verify the library version contains the security patch or the specific fix for data_coder.c get_binary function
  4. Inspect get_binary function in data_coder.c
    If root access is available, extract and examine the data_coder.c or data_coder.o within the GPS HAL library binary - look for bounds checking before buffer write operations in the get_binary function
    Affected if The get_binary function lacks proper bounds validation before writing to destination buffers, or the source code is not patched with bounds checks
  5. Check Android security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the installed Android security patch level
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the May 2018 patch that addresses CVE-2018-9392

User is affected if the device uses a MediaTek chipset with the GPS Hardware Abstraction Layer and the get_binary function in data_coder.c lacks bounds checking - this is confirmed by having an unpatched GPS HAL library version or a security patch level predating May 2018.

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

Add proper bounds validation before any buffer write operations in the get_binary function to ensure data length does not exceed destination buffer capacity. Apply the fix through MediaTek's vendor patch process.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Bulletin July 2018 or later (patch level 2018-07-01 or newer)

  1. 1. Check the current Android security patch level on the device via Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Verify if the device has received the July 2018 Android Security Bulletin or later patch level
  3. 3. If the device is on an older patch level, contact the device manufacturer (OEM) for the appropriate security update
  4. 4. Apply the OEM-provided system update that includes the July 2018 security patch or later
  5. 5. Alternatively, if available, upgrade to a newer Android version that includes the patched MediaTek GPS HAL component
Caveat Some older devices may no longer receive security updates from OEMs; ensure the device is still supported before upgrading

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,400
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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-2018-9392 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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