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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9456

HIGH · 7.5 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 →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 sdpu_extract_attr_seq of sdp_utils.cc, there is a possible out of bounds read due to an incorrect bounds check. This could lead to remote denial of service 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 sdpu_extract_attr_seq of sdp_utils.cc within Android's Bluetooth SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) stack, an incorrect bounds check allows an out-of-bounds read. This can be triggered remotely via malformed SDP packets, causing a denial of service condition without requiring any elevated privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for CVE-2018-9456, which includes corrected bounds checking in sdp_utils.cc. For custom Bluetooth implementations, audit and fix the bounds validation in the sdpu_extract_attr_seq function to ensure proper buffer limit enforcement before array access.

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:= 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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
    Check the device or build's Android version via Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell
    Affected if Version is 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, or 8.1 (exact match required)
  2. Confirm Bluetooth is enabled
    Check if Bluetooth is turned on via Settings > Bluetooth, or run 'settings get global bluetooth_on' via ADB shell
    Affected if Bluetooth is currently enabled on the device
  3. Verify SDP functionality is accessible
    The SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) stack is active whenever Bluetooth is enabled and devices can query for services. Check via 'dumpsys bluetooth_manager' or observe Bluetooth state
    Affected if Bluetooth is enabled and the device is discoverable or connecting to other Bluetooth devices

If the Android version exactly matches 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, or 8.1 AND Bluetooth is enabled, the device is affected by this out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the SDP stack.

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 Android security patch for CVE-2018-9456, which includes corrected bounds checking in sdp_utils.cc. For custom Bluetooth implementations, audit and fix the bounds validation in the sdpu_extract_attr_seq function to ensure proper buffer limit enforcement before array access.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 8.1 or later with December 2018 security patch level; alternatively Android 9 (Pie) or later which includes the fix

  1. Check the current Android version on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. Determine if the device can receive monthly security updates. Contact the device manufacturer or carrier for update availability
  3. If updates are available, ensure the device is updated to at least the December 2018 security patch level (or later)
  4. To verify the fix, confirm the security patch level at Settings > About Phone > Security patch level shows a date of December 2018 or later
  5. If no official update is available from the device manufacturer, consider migrating to a device that receives regular security updates
Caveat Minimal risk - security patches typically do not introduce breaking changes. However, older devices may not support newer Android versions

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2018-9456 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