# CVE-2018-9515: Memory corruption in Android

> Local attackers can exploit improper locking in the Android kernel to achieve privilege escalation without user interaction.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/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:** 2 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f5qv-9mc6-rv7c

## What is CVE-2018-9515?

CVE-2018-9515 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Google Android, published on 2 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In sdcardfs_create and sdcardfs_mkdir of inode.c, there is a possible memory corruption due to improper locking. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android Versions: Android kernel Android ID: A-111641492 References: N/A

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-9515?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-9515?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-9515 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-9515 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-9515 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Android - sdcardfs Changes current->fs Without Proper Locking (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-2018-9515 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-9515 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Google Android, published on 2 Oct 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-2018-9515 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-2018-9515/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9515/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-9515
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-9515
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-9515

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9515/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.