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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9409

HIGH · 7.8 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 →
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 HWCSession::SetColorModeById of hwc_session.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. 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

A missing bounds check in HWCSession::SetColorModeById in hwc_session.cpp allows an out of bounds write when setting a color mode. This occurs because the function does not validate the color mode ID index before writing to the color mode array, enabling a local attacker to achieve privilege escalation without user interaction or additional execution privileges.

MitigationApply the vendor-specific patch for this vulnerability in the hardware composer (HWC) module. The fix requires adding proper bounds validation in SetColorModeById to ensure the color mode index is within valid array bounds before any write operation.

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:= 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. Check Android version is 8.1
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version. Verify the version is exactly 8.1.
    Affected if The device runs Android 8.1 (API level 27)
  2. Identify if Hardware Composer (HWC) is in use
    Check /system/lib/hw/ or /vendor/lib/hw/ directories for hwc*.so libraries. Run 'getprop ro.hardware' to identify the device's hardware module.
    Affected if The device uses the vulnerable HWC implementation in the hardware composer module
  3. Verify color mode setting is accessible
    Inspect if the SetColorModeById function in hwc_session.cpp is reachable through SurfaceFlinger or display configuration APIs. This typically requires the device to have display hardware with color mode support.
    Affected if The device has a display driver that exposes the SetColorModeById function through HWC
  4. Check for vendor patch presence
    Look for the bounds check fix in the HWC library binary or source. This cannot be easily detected at runtime without debugging tools - compare the hwc_session.cpp file date or check vendor security bulletin for patch level.
    Affected if The vendor patch for CVE-2018-9409 has not been applied (patch level predates the fix)

The device is affected if it runs Android 8.1 and uses the vulnerable Hardware Composer (HWC) module without the CVE-2018-9409 patch applied.

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-specific patch for this vulnerability in the hardware composer (HWC) module. The fix requires adding proper bounds validation in SetColorModeById to ensure the color mode index is within valid array bounds before any write operation.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 8.1 with December 2018 Security Patch Level or later (or upgrade to Android 9.0/10/11 depending on device support)

  1. Check the Android Security Patch Level on the device by going to Settings > About Phone > Build Number or Settings > Security > Security Patch Level
  2. Apply the latest Android security update for Android 8.1 by going to Settings > System > Software Update or checking for updates in Settings > About Phone
  3. If no update is available through OTA, check with the device manufacturer or carrier for the specific security patch that addresses CVE-2018-9409
  4. Alternatively, upgrade the device to a newer Android version (9.0 or later) which includes the fix
Caveat Upgrading to a newer Android version may cause compatibility issues with older apps or device-specific features; some older devices may not receive the security 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
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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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-2018-9409 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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