VulnerabilityPublished 2 Mar 2026Updated 6 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-0038: Google Android · Elevation of Privilege

Affects Google AndroidSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.4 High.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.4High

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
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: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
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

To mitigate CVE-2026-0038 effectively, organizations and users should: 1) Apply official security patches from Google or device manufacturers as soon as they become available, prioritizing kernel updates. 2) Restrict local access to devices by enforcing strong physical security controls and device management policies. 3) Limit installation of untrusted or third-party applications that could facilitate local exploitation. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor device integrity and enforce security configurations. 5) Use runtime protection and behavior monitoring tools that can detect anomalous kernel-level activities. 6) Educate users about the risks of granting unnecessary permissions and the importance of installing updates promptly. 7) For organizations, segment networks to reduce the risk of compromised devices affecting critical infrastructure. 8) Monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploit code or attack campaigns targeting this vulnerability. 9) Consider deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions tailored for mobile environments to detect exploitation attempts. 10) Coordinate with vendors and security communities to stay informed about patch availability and best practices.

Description

In multiple functions of mem_protect.c, there is a possible way to execute arbitrary code due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2026-0038 is substantial for organizations and individuals using Android devices. Successful exploitation allows attackers to escalate privileges locally to kernel level, which can lead to complete system compromise. This includes unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, disabling of security controls, and potential disruption of device availability. For enterprises relying on Android devices for business operations, this vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement within networks if devices are connected to corporate resources. The ability to execute arbitrary code at the kernel level also undermines the trustworthiness of the device, affecting secure communications, mobile payments, and confidential applications. Since no user interaction is required, the attack surface includes any scenario where an attacker can gain local access, such as through malicious apps exploiting other vulnerabilities or physical access. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits rapidly after disclosure. The broad deployment of Android globally means that millions of devices could be affected, amplifying the potential scale of impact.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Mar 2026, 17:01 UTC

Technical details

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