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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2025-36903

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-04
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 lwis_io_buffer_write, there is a possible OOB read/write due to improper input validation. 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 · moderate confidence

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's lwis_io_buffer_write function allows out-of-bounds read/write operations due to improper input validation. This enables a local attacker to escalate privileges to root without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied kernel patch for CVE-2025-36903 and update to a patched kernel version. Given the local privilege escalation risk, prioritization of this patch is critical.

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
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. Identify lwis driver presence in the kernel
    Search for lwis-related kernel modules or drivers by examining /proc/modules, kernel config files, or searching for 'lwis' in /sys/kernel/debug or /proc/kallsyms. On Android, you may also check /system/lib/modules or vendor-specific driver directories.
    Affected if The lwis driver/module is present and loaded on the device, as the vulnerability exists within the lwis_io_buffer_write function.
  2. Determine the running kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to obtain the exact kernel version string. For Android, you can also check android.os.Build.VERSION.INCREMENTAL or the /proc/version file.
    Affected if The kernel version matches an unpatched version that contains the vulnerable lwis_io_buffer_write function.
  3. Check Android security patch level
    On Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB to retrieve the security patch date.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor release date for the CVE-2025-36903 patch.
  4. Verify lwis device nodes exist
    Check for lwis-related device nodes in /dev or /sys/class by running 'ls -la /dev/*lwis*' or searching through /sys for lwis entries: 'find /sys -name "*lwis*" 2>/dev/null'.
    Affected if Active lwis device nodes indicate the driver is initialized and potentially exploitable.

A system is affected if the lwis driver is present and the kernel/security patch level predates the vendor-supplied fix for CVE-2025-36903.

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-supplied kernel patch for CVE-2025-36903 and update to a patched kernel version. Given the local privilege escalation risk, prioritization of this patch is critical.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level containing CVE-2025-36903 fix (refer to Android Security Bulletin for specific date - typically the month of the patch release)

  1. 1. Check the Android Security Bulletin for CVE-2025-36903 to identify the specific Android Security Patch Level that contains the fix
  2. 2. Verify your device's current Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Android Security Patch Level
  3. 3. If your device is on an older patch level, check if your device manufacturer has released an update containing the fix
  4. 4. Apply the available system update that includes the security patch addressing this vulnerability
  5. 5. If no update is available from your device manufacturer, consider upgrading to a device that receives regular security updates
Caveat Security updates may have compatibility considerations; ensure backup of data before applying system updates

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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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-36903 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