CVE-2018-9428
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 · uneditedIn startDevice of AAudioServiceStreamBase.cpp there is a possible out of bounds write due to a use after free. This could lead to local arbitrary code execution with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-07-01
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 confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability in the AAudio service's startDevice function (AAudioServiceStreamBase.cpp) allows local attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution through a resulting out-of-bounds memory write. User interaction is required for exploitation.
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= 8.1CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check the Android OS versionOn the device, go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADBAffected if The version is exactly 8.1 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
-
Verify the AAudio service is in useCheck if any application on the device is using the AAudio API, or inspect running processes for aaudio-related activity using 'ps -A | grep -i aaudio' via ADBAffected if AAudio is actively being used by an application on the device
-
Check the security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADBAffected if The patch level is earlier than July 2018 (before 2018-07-01)
The device is affected if it runs Android 8.1, uses the AAudio service, and has a security patch level earlier than July 2018.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the July 2018 Android security patch level which includes the fix for this AAudio service vulnerability; users should ensure their devices receive system updates.
Android 8.1 with July 2018 security patch level or later (or upgrade to Android 9/10/11 which include the fix)
- Check current Android version by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version
- Check current security patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
- If the security patch level is earlier than July 2018, check for system updates under Settings > System > Software Update
- Apply the July 2018 security patch or later via system update
- If no update is available, contact the device manufacturer for the security patch or consider upgrading to a newer Android version that receives regular security updates
- Verify after update that the security patch level shows July 2018 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-9428 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-9428 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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