dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9463

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-05
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 sw49408_irq_runtime_engine_debug of touch_sw49408.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect 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 · moderate confidence

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the sw49408 touch screen driver (sw49408_irq_runtime_engine_debug function in touch_sw49408.c) due to an incorrect bounds check. This could allow a local attacker with System-level privileges to escalate to root privileges by exploiting the improper array bounds validation.

MitigationApply the kernel security patch for CVE-2018-9463 or update to a patched kernel version. Since exploitation requires System privileges, prioritize limiting the number of accounts with elevated privileges and monitor for suspicious activity.

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. Confirm the device is running Google Android
    Check the OS by examining /system/build.prop or running 'getprop ro.build.fingerprint' or 'cat /proc/version' to identify the operating system
    Affected if The device runs Google Android OS - this is the affected product
  2. Identify if the sw49408 touch screen driver is present
    Search for the driver module by running 'find /system -name *sw49408*' or checking kernel modules with 'lsmod | grep sw49408' or inspecting /proc/modules
    Affected if The sw49408 touch screen driver is loaded or present on the device - this driver contains the vulnerable code
  3. Verify the vulnerable function exists in the driver
    Examine the driver binary or source if accessible - look for the function 'sw49408_irq_runtime_engine_debug' within the touch screen driver code
    Affected if The function sw49408_irq_runtime_engine_debug is present in the driver - this is where the out-of-bounds write occurs
  4. Confirm System-level privileges are present
    Check if the attacker has System-level access by reviewing running processes with 'ps -A' or checking for processes with UID system (1000) or higher privileges
    Affected if The attacker or compromised account has System-level privileges - exploitation requires this privilege level to escalate to root

A device is affected if it runs Google Android, has the sw49408 touch screen driver loaded, contains the vulnerable sw49408_irq_runtime_engine_debug function, and the attacker possesses System-level privileges.

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 kernel security patch for CVE-2018-9463 or update to a patched kernel version. Since exploitation requires System privileges, prioritize limiting the number of accounts with elevated privileges and monitor for suspicious activity.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android devices with July 2018 Security Patch Level or later (or the latest security update available from your device manufacturer)

  1. 1. Check your device's current Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Update your device to the latest available Android security update. Go to Settings > System > Software Update (or Settings > About Phone > System Updates) and install any available updates
  3. 3. Verify that the Security Patch Level is July 2018 or later, which contains the fix for CVE-2018-9463
  4. 4. If your device manufacturer has not released a security update containing this fix, consider upgrading to a newer device that receives regular security updates
Caveat Some older devices may no longer receive security updates from manufacturers; consider using a device that receives regular monthly security patches

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-2018-9463 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • 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