CVE-2025-36935

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CVE-2025-36935 vulnerability security high severity Android memory corruption privilege escalation CVE database trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim shared-mem-smcall.c

Summary

CVE-2025-36935 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Android. It involves a memory corruption issue within the trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim function in shared-mem-smcall.c, potentially leading to local privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction.

Technical Details

CVE-2025-36935 stems from the use of uninitialized data within the trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim function located in the shared-mem-smcall.c file of the Android operating system. This function is responsible for reclaiming shared memory. When uninitialized data is used in memory management operations, it can lead to unpredictable behavior, including memory corruption. Specifically, the uninitialized data can influence the size or location of memory regions being manipulated, potentially overwriting critical system data structures or code. This corruption can then be leveraged by a local attacker to escalate their privileges to a higher level, potentially gaining root access to the device.

The vulnerability lies in the fact that the uninitialized data can lead to incorrect calculations or decisions within the memory reclamation process. This can result in memory being freed incorrectly, allocated to the wrong process, or overwritten with unintended data. The attacker can carefully craft input to trigger this condition and manipulate the uninitialized data to achieve a desired outcome, such as overwriting the process's privilege level or injecting malicious code into a privileged context.

The fact that no user interaction is required significantly increases the risk associated with this vulnerability. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability remotely through other vulnerabilities or by leveraging existing system services.

Affected Products and Versions

  • Google Android (All Versions)

Impact Assessment

Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-36935 can lead to significant consequences for affected Android devices. An attacker could gain complete control over the device, allowing them to:

  • Access sensitive user data, including contacts, messages, photos, and financial information.
  • Install malware or spyware to monitor user activity or steal credentials.
  • Modify system settings and configurations, potentially disabling security features or creating backdoors.
  • Use the compromised device as a bot in a botnet for malicious purposes.
  • Completely brick the device, rendering it unusable.

Remediation

Immediate Actions

  • Apply the security patch released by Google as soon as it becomes available.
  • Monitor Android devices for suspicious activity, such as unauthorized access attempts or unexpected system behavior.

Long-term Solutions

  • Keep Android devices updated with the latest security patches.
  • Implement strong security policies and procedures to prevent unauthorized access to devices.
  • Educate users about the risks of malware and phishing attacks.

References

Detection & Scanning

Detecting CVE-2025-36935 requires analyzing the Android system for signs of memory corruption or unauthorized privilege escalation. This can be achieved through:

  • Runtime analysis: Monitoring system processes for unexpected behavior or memory access violations.
  • Static analysis: Examining the trusty_ffa_mem_reclaim function in shared-mem-smcall.c for the use of uninitialized data.
  • Vulnerability scanning: Using specialized security tools to scan Android devices for known vulnerabilities, including CVE-2025-36935.

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