CVE-2018-14983
CWE-20Published: April 25, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
The Sony Xperia L1 Android device with a build fingerprint of Sony/G3313/G3313:7.0/43.0.A.6.49/2867558199:user/release-keys contains the android framework (i.e., system_server) with a package name of android (versionCode=24, versionName=7.0) that has been modified by Sony or another entity in the supply chain. The system_server process in the core android package has an exported broadcast receiver that allows any app co-located on the device to programmatically initiate the taking of a screenshot and have the resulting screenshot be written to external storage. The taking of a screenshot is not transparent to the user; the device has a screen animation as the screenshot is taken and there is a notification indicating that a screenshot occurred. If the attacking app also requests the EXPAND_STATUS_BAR permission, it can wake the device up using certain techniques and expand the status bar to take a screenshot of the user's notifications even if the device has an active screen lock. The notifications may contain sensitive data such as text messages used in two-factor authentication. The system_server process that provides this capability cannot be disabled, as it is part of the Android framework. The notification can be removed by a local Denial of Service (DoS) attack to reboot the device.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-14983 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (4)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-20)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-14983 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts