CVE-2019-2025
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 binder_thread_read of binder.c, there is a possible use-after-free due to improper locking. This could lead to local escalation of privilege in the kernel with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-116855682References: Upstream kernel
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 exists in the binder_thread_read function within the Android kernel's binder.c driver. The issue stems from improper locking mechanisms that fail to properly protect shared data structures during concurrent access, allowing a local attacker to potentially reuse freed memory and escalate privileges to root in the kernel context.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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:3.0/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the kernel version running on the Android deviceRun 'uname -r' in a terminal or adb shell to retrieve the kernel version stringAffected if The kernel version is older than the versions containing the CVE fix (for Android, this was addressed in upstream kernel versions with specific binder fixes; compare your kernel version against the Android Security Bulletin for the month the fix was released)
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Verify the Android security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via adbAffected if The security patch level is earlier than the month CVE-2019-2025 was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin (typically January 2019 or later)
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Confirm the binder driver is presentCheck for /dev/binder entry or run 'ls -la /dev/binder' in adb shellAffected if The binder driver device exists (this is standard on all Android devices; the vulnerability applies if the kernel is unpatched)
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Check the binder driver source version if accessibleIf you have root access, inspect /sys/kernel/debug/binder or check kernel config for CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC=yAffected if The binder driver is compiled into the kernel (this is always enabled on Android; the vulnerability is present in unpatched kernels regardless of config)
The device is affected if it runs a kernel version older than the patched versions AND has a security patch level earlier than when CVE-2019-2025 was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin.
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.
From vendor dataThis kernel-level vulnerability requires patching the binder driver in the upstream kernel source. Android devices will receive the fix through manufacturer kernel updates. Organizations should apply available security patches and ensure devices receive regular kernel-level updates from their OEM.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,192.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-2025 — 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-2019-2025 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
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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