CVE-2018-5852 is a high severity flaw in Android: an unsigned integer underflow in the IPA driver leading to a buffer over-read. NVD scores it 8.4. Google fixed it in the May 2018 Pixel and Nexus Security Bulletin. Devices at security patch level 2018-05-05 or later are covered, so check the level and update.
What's affected
The weakness is an unsigned integer underflow in the IPA driver leading to a buffer over-read, in the Qualcomm IPA driver. The bulletin entry is typed ID and its affected versions column reads: not given as a version; the bulletin lists the component as Ipa driver. The NVD record is dated 2024-11-26 and carries the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
The two sources disagree on severity. Google's bulletin rates it Moderate, while NVD scores it 8.4 (High). Both are published figures and both are reported here. The NVD record gives no Android version for this issue, so the component named in the bulletin is the better guide.
The fix is a platform patch, not something you install per app. Per the May 2018 bulletin, security patch levels of 2018-05-05 or later address all issues in that bulletin. Google devices (Pixel and Nexus) receive the fix at that level, and other manufacturers ship it on their own schedule.
Weakness class: CWE-126, CWE-191.
How to check if you're exposed
Look at the security patch level, not the Android version number. The patch level is the date string that shows which monthly bulletins a device has absorbed.
On the device, open Settings, then About phone, then Android version, and read the Android security patch level. Exact menus vary by manufacturer.
For managed devices with USB debugging enabled, this reads the same value:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release
A patch level earlier than 2018-05-05 means this bulletin has not been fully applied. A device that no longer receives updates cannot be fixed this way and should be retired from sensitive use.
What to do now
- Find every Android device that touches company data and record its patch level, using your mobile device management tool or the commands above.
- Update devices below 2018-05-05 through the manufacturer or carrier channel.
- For devices that cannot reach that level, restrict access to email, source code and admin tools, or replace them.
- Set a compliance rule that blocks devices more than a set number of months behind on patch level.
- Read the original entry in the May 2018 bulletin for anything specific to your hardware.
Why it matters
The record says an unsigned integer underflow in the IPA driver causes a buffer over-read when reading a NAT entry through a debugfs command. The bulletin lists it as an information disclosure and rates it Moderate. NVD scores it 8.4 High.
The CWEs are 126, buffer over-read, and 191, integer underflow. A subtraction that wraps below zero becomes a huge length, and the read then runs past the buffer. The entry point is a debug interface, a reminder that debug paths are part of the attack surface.
This CVE is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, and I found no statement of exploitation in the bulletin. That is not a reason to wait. Old Android issues linger because many devices never receive the monthly updates, and the record was only published to NVD in 2024, years after the bulletin.
Safeguard's free in-browser dependency scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan covers the libraries your own apps ship, not the device operating system. Use it for the app side, and your device management tool for the patch level side.
Quick check
Which patch level fixes CVE-2018-5852?
Google's May 2018 bulletin says security patch levels of 2018-05-05 or later address its issues. Confirm the exact entry in the bulletin for your device and manufacturer.
Is CVE-2018-5852 exploited in the wild?
It is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and the bulletin text I read does not say it was exploited. Patch anyway.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
