CVE-2026-0194: Integer Overflow Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-0194 Overview

CVE-2026-0194 is an integer overflow vulnerability [CWE-190] disclosed in the Android Security Bulletin for September 2026. The flaw exists in multiple code locations and enables a permission bypass through arithmetic wraparound during boundary or size calculations. Successful exploitation results in local escalation of privilege without requiring user interaction or additional execution privileges. An attacker with local access to the device can leverage the flaw to gain elevated permissions outside the intended sandbox.

Critical Impact
A local attacker can bypass permission checks and escalate privileges on the affected device without user interaction, exposing confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

Affected Products

Android (see the Android Security Bulletin September 2026 for the authoritative list of affected components and builds)
Google Pixel devices covered by the September 2026 Pixel Update Bulletin
Downstream Android distributions incorporating the vulnerable components

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-15 - CVE-2026-0194 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-09-17 - NVD record last modified

Technical Details for CVE-2026-0194

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an integer overflow that appears in multiple locations within the affected Android components. When an untrusted input participates in a size, length, or index calculation, the arithmetic wraps around and produces a value that fails to reflect the true magnitude of the operation. The wrapped value is then used in a subsequent permission or bounds check, allowing the check to succeed when it should have failed. The result is a permission bypass that yields local privilege escalation on the device.

Because the flaw is triggered locally by a process already running on the device, exploitation does not require network access or interaction from the user. This matches typical Android privilege escalation chains where a low-privileged application abuses a system service to acquire higher-privileged capabilities.

Root Cause

The root cause is unchecked arithmetic on values controlled or influenced by an untrusted caller [CWE-190]. When the calculation exceeds the maximum representable value of its integer type, the result wraps, bypassing size validation and access-control gating that depends on the calculated value being accurate.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access. A malicious application or process running on the device supplies crafted inputs to the affected code paths, triggering the overflow and reaching operations that would otherwise be blocked by permission checks. No user interaction is required. Detailed component-level analysis is available in the Android Security Bulletin September 2026.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently listed for this CVE, and it is not present on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-0194

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected privilege transitions where a non-system application obtains access to system-level APIs or files.
Application crashes or kernel logcat entries referencing size, length, or allocation failures in the components identified by the Android Security Bulletin.
Newly installed applications immediately invoking sensitive system services after installation.

Detection Strategies

Compare device build fingerprints and security patch levels against the September 2026 patch level and flag devices that have not been updated.
Inspect mobile application behavior for calls to affected system interfaces with anomalously large size or index parameters.
Correlate mobile device management (MDM) telemetry with vendor patch metadata to identify unpatched fleet members.

Monitoring Recommendations

Track Android security patch level (ro.build.version.security_patch) across managed devices and alert when it lags the current bulletin.
Monitor for sideloaded or unknown-source applications on enterprise-managed Android devices.
Review mobile threat defense logs for privilege-escalation attempts and abnormal system service invocation patterns.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-0194

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the September 2026 Android security patch level or later to all affected devices as soon as the vendor releases the update for your device model.
Enforce a minimum security patch level through MDM policies and quarantine devices that do not meet it.
Restrict installation of applications from untrusted sources and require review of app permissions before installation.

Patch Information

The fix is delivered through the September 2026 Android security patch level. Refer to the Android Security Bulletin September 2026 for the list of patched components, source references, and device-specific patch availability. Pixel devices receive the fix through the corresponding Pixel Update Bulletin, while other OEMs distribute the patch according to their own schedules.

Workarounds

No vendor-published workaround is available; the security patch is the authoritative remediation.
Reduce exposure by limiting the number of installed third-party applications and disabling installation from unknown sources.
Use enterprise mobility controls to block or isolate devices that cannot be upgraded to the patched build.

bash

# Verify the Android security patch level on a device via adb
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch

# Expected result on a patched device: a date at or after 2026-09-01