CVE-2026-0050 Overview
CVE-2026-0050 is a local information disclosure vulnerability in the Android Bluetooth stack. The flaw resides in the handleBondStateChanged method of AdapterService.java. A permissions bypass [CWE-269] allows a low-privileged local application to access sensitive Bluetooth bonding information without proper authorization. Exploitation requires no user interaction and no additional execution privileges. Google published the issue in the Android Security Bulletin for June 2026.
Critical Impact
A local application with limited privileges can obtain sensitive Bluetooth pairing data through a permissions bypass in AdapterService.java, with no user interaction required.
Affected Products
- Google Android 15.0
- Google Android 16.0 (including QPR2 Beta 1)
- Google Android 16.0 QPR2 Beta 2 and Beta 3
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-01 - Google publishes the Android Security Bulletin addressing CVE-2026-0050
- 2026-06-01 - CVE-2026-0050 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-02 - NVD record last modified
Technical Details for CVE-2026-0050
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is classified as Improper Privilege Management [CWE-269]. It allows a local, authenticated application to read sensitive information that should be restricted by the Bluetooth permission model. The attack vector is local, complexity is low, and the impact is limited to confidentiality of data exposed through the Bluetooth AdapterService component.
The Android Bluetooth stack tracks the bonding state of paired devices through callbacks managed by AdapterService.java. The handleBondStateChanged method dispatches state transition events to interested components. Sensitive identifiers and pairing metadata flow through this path during bond establishment and removal.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing or incorrect permission check inside handleBondStateChanged. The method exposes bonding state details to callers that should not hold the required Bluetooth privileges. Because the check is bypassed, the runtime grants access based on insufficient authorization criteria, violating the principle of least privilege.
Attack Vector
An attacker delivers a malicious application to the target device through standard distribution channels. The application runs with low privileges and does not request user-facing Bluetooth permissions. The app then invokes the affected code path or registers to receive state-change callbacks. The permissions bypass returns sensitive Bluetooth information directly to the attacker-controlled process. No user interaction or social engineering is required after installation.
No public proof-of-concept code is available for CVE-2026-0050. Refer to the Android Security Bulletin June 2026 for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-0050
Indicators of Compromise
- Applications that register Bluetooth state-change receivers without declaring BLUETOOTH_CONNECT or BLUETOOTH_PRIVILEGED permissions in their manifest.
- Unexpected access to Bluetooth bond state APIs from non-system, non-privileged user-installed applications.
- Log entries from AdapterService showing bond state transitions delivered to unusual package names.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect installed application manifests for components that subscribe to Bluetooth bonding events without legitimate need.
- Use Android logcat filtering on the BluetoothAdapterService and BluetoothBondStateMachine tags to identify abnormal listeners.
- Apply mobile threat defense tooling to flag applications that interact with Bluetooth bonding interfaces outside expected behavioral baselines.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track the Android security patch level on managed devices and alert when devices remain below the June 2026 patch level.
- Monitor enterprise app stores and MDM telemetry for newly installed applications requesting Bluetooth-adjacent capabilities.
- Correlate Bluetooth pairing anomalies with installed application inventories during incident triage.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-0050
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the June 2026 Android security patch to all managed Android 15.0 and 16.0 devices.
- Identify and remove Android 16.0 QPR2 Beta builds from production fleets until vendor patches are confirmed installed.
- Audit installed applications for unnecessary Bluetooth-related receivers and revoke or uninstall as appropriate.
Patch Information
Google addressed CVE-2026-0050 in the Android Security Bulletin for 2026-06-01. Devices running security patch level 2026-06-01 or later contain the fix. OEM and carrier rollouts may vary, so confirm patch delivery on each device class.
Workarounds
- Restrict application installation to vetted enterprise catalogs through Mobile Device Management (MDM) policies.
- Disable Bluetooth on devices that do not require it until the security patch is applied.
- Enforce Google Play Protect scanning and block side-loading on managed devices via MDM configuration profiles.
# Verify the Android security patch level on a connected device
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
# Expected output: 2026-06-01 or later
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
