# CVE-2018-9375: Privilege escalation in Android

> A confused deputy vulnerability in Android's UserDictionaryProvider allows local attackers to escalate privileges without user interaction.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 13 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cpff-m354-g6jw

## What is CVE-2018-9375?

CVE-2018-9375 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 17 Jan 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In multiple functions of UserDictionaryProvider.java, there is a possible way to add and delete words in the user dictionary due to a confused deputy. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-9375?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-9375?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-9375 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-9375 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-9375 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- PoC Exploit for AOSP UserDictionary Content Provider (CVE-2018-9375) (github_poc): https://github.com/IOActive/AOSP-ExploitUserDictionary

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-9375 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-9375 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 17 Jan 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-9375 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9375/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9375/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-9375
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-9375
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-9375

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9375/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.