CVE-2024-29748: Google Android Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-29748 Overview

CVE-2024-29748 is a logic error vulnerability in Google Pixel firmware that enables attackers to bypass security controls and achieve local privilege escalation. The flaw exists due to improper handling of exceptional conditions (CWE-755) and insufficient protection of alternate hardware interfaces (CWE-280), allowing malicious actors to circumvent intended security mechanisms without requiring additional execution privileges.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Successful exploitation leads to complete compromise of device confidentiality, integrity, and availability through local privilege escalation.

Affected Products

• Google Android
• Google Pixel devices

Discovery Timeline

• April 5, 2024 - CVE-2024-29748 published to NVD
• October 24, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-29748

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from a logic error in Google Pixel firmware that allows attackers to bypass security controls designed to protect critical device functions. The flaw is categorized under CWE-755 (Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions) and CWE-280 (Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges), indicating that the firmware fails to properly validate security states under certain exceptional conditions.

The attack requires local access to the device and user interaction to exploit. However, once triggered, the vulnerability enables privilege escalation without needing any additional execution privileges—meaning an unprivileged process can gain elevated access to system resources. This is particularly concerning as it could allow malicious applications or actors with physical device access to completely compromise device security.

According to GrapheneOS, this vulnerability has been observed being actively exploited in real-world attacks, prompting its addition to the CISA KEV catalog.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in improper logic handling within the Pixel firmware. The code fails to adequately handle exceptional conditions, allowing an attacker to manipulate the execution flow and bypass security restrictions. The logic error creates a gap in the security validation process where certain conditions are not properly checked or enforced, enabling unauthorized privilege escalation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring an attacker to have either physical access to the device or the ability to execute code locally through another means (such as a malicious application). User interaction is required to trigger the vulnerability—this could involve tricking a user into performing specific actions or interacting with malicious content.

Once triggered, the attacker can leverage the logic error to bypass security controls and escalate privileges to gain full system access, potentially compromising sensitive data, installing persistent malware, or taking complete control of the affected Pixel device.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-29748

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected privilege escalation events or processes running with elevated permissions without proper authorization
• Anomalous system behavior following user interaction with untrusted applications or content
• Firmware integrity check failures or unauthorized modifications to system partitions
• Unusual activity patterns indicating bypass of security controls on Pixel devices

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Android system logs for abnormal privilege transitions and unexpected permission grants
• Implement application behavior analysis to detect attempts to exploit firmware-level vulnerabilities
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying privilege escalation attack patterns
• Review device attestation results for signs of firmware tampering or security control bypass

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging on Android Enterprise managed Pixel devices to capture security-relevant events
• Monitor for CISA KEV alerts and apply patches immediately when available
• Implement mobile threat defense solutions that can detect exploitation attempts in real-time
• Regularly audit installed applications and permissions for signs of malicious activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-29748

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the April 2024 Pixel security update immediately as detailed in the Android Security Bulletin
• Restrict device access to trusted users only and enable device encryption
• Review and remove any suspicious applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability
• Enable automatic security updates to ensure timely patch deployment

Patch Information

Google addressed this vulnerability in the April 2024 Pixel Security Bulletin. The security update includes firmware fixes that correct the logic error and properly handle the exceptional conditions that allowed the bypass. Organizations and users should update to the latest firmware version as indicated in the official security bulletin.

Due to active exploitation in the wild and CISA KEV listing, this patch should be treated as an emergency priority for all affected Pixel devices.

Workarounds

• Limit device usage to trusted applications from verified sources only until the patch is applied
• Avoid interacting with untrusted content or installing applications from unknown sources
• Enable Google Play Protect and ensure it remains active to help identify potentially harmful applications
• Consider using GrapheneOS or other hardened Android distributions that may have implemented additional protections

For enterprise environments, mobile device management (MDM) solutions should be configured to enforce patch compliance and restrict devices running vulnerable firmware versions from accessing sensitive corporate resources.