# CVE-2018-9445: Path traversal in Android

> A path traversal vulnerability in Android's USB metadata handling allows local attackers to escalate privileges without user interaction.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Nov 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xqhw-7jhx-gmrc

## What is CVE-2018-9445?

CVE-2018-9445 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Nov 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In readMetadata of Utils.cpp, there is a possible path traversal bug due to a confused deputy. This could lead to local escalation of privilege when mounting a USB device with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android Versions: Android-6.0 Android-6.0.1 Android-7.0 Android-7.1.1 Android-7.1.2 Android-8.0 Android-8.1 Android ID: A-80436257.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-9445?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-9445?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-9445 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-9445 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-9445 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Android - Directory Traversal over USB via Injection in blkid Output (exploitdb)
- Android - Directory Traversal over USB via Injection in blkid Output (exploitdb)

## 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-2018-9445 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-9445 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Nov 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-9445 exists.

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-2018-9445/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9445/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-9445
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-9445
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-9445

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9445/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.