VulnerabilityPublished 2 Mar 2026Updated 11 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-0032: Google Android · Elevation of Privilege

Affects Google AndroidSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.8High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.09% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 0% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 2 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
GoogleAndroid	Affected =Android kernel	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Organizations should monitor official Google and Android security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2026-0032 and apply them promptly once available. Until patches are released, implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and restrict physical or local access to devices. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and monitor for suspicious activity indicative of privilege escalation attempts. Consider disabling or restricting debugging interfaces and USB access to reduce attack vectors. Regularly audit device configurations and installed applications to detect anomalies. For high-security environments, consider isolating critical Android devices from untrusted networks and users. Security teams should prepare incident response plans for potential exploitation scenarios and educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities.

Description

CVE-2026-0032 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Android kernel, specifically within multiple functions of mem_protect.c. The flaw is caused by a logic error leading to an out-of-bounds write, allowing an attacker with limited privileges to escalate their rights without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. Exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected devices. No known exploits are currently in the wild, but the vulnerability affects the core Android kernel, making it critical for device security. Organizations relying on Android devices should prioritize patching once updates are available and implement strict access controls to mitigate risk. This vulnerability primarily impacts countries with high Android device usage and significant mobile infrastructure. Due to the kernel-level impact and ease of exploitation, the severity is rated high with a CVSS score of 7.8.

Impact

The vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected Android devices, potentially gaining full control over the system. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, disruption of device functionality, and bypassing of security controls. Since the flaw exists in the kernel, the impact extends to all applications and services running on the device, compromising the entire security model. Organizations relying on Android devices for sensitive communications, mobile workforce operations, or IoT deployments face increased risk of data breaches, espionage, and operational disruption. The lack of required user interaction and low complexity of exploitation increase the likelihood of successful attacks, especially in environments where physical or local access is possible. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, threat actors may develop them rapidly given the high value of kernel-level access.

Summary

CVE-2026-0032 is a vulnerability identified in multiple functions within the mem_protect.c source file of the Android kernel. The root cause is a logic error that results in an out-of-bounds write operation. This type of memory corruption can allow an attacker with local access and limited privileges to escalate their privileges to a higher level, potentially gaining root or kernel-level access. The vulnerability does not require any additional execution privileges or user interaction, which lowers the barrier for exploitation. The flaw relates to CWE-269, indicating improper privilege management. The Android kernel is a critical component managing hardware and system resources, so a compromise here can lead to full system control. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability's nature and impact make it a significant risk. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and limited privileges required.

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Restful Privilege Elevation (opens in a new tab)
Privilege Abuse (opens in a new tab)
Privilege Escalation (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 17 Mar 2026, 19:05 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-269

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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