Full Report
Google has disclosed that a high-severity security flaw in its Pixel Cellular Modem has come under exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-58704 (CVSS score: 8.0), is a privilege escalation flaw. "In Cellular Modem, there is a possible permission bypass due to a logic error in the code," according to a description of the bug in the NIST National Vulnerability Database
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Google Pixel Cellular Modem Privilege Escalation
## CVE Details
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2026-58704
- **CVSS Score:** 8.0 (High)
- **CWE:** Logic Error (Permission Bypass)
## Affected Systems
- **Products:** Google Pixel devices (Cellular Modem component)
- **Versions:** Devices running security patch levels older than 2026-09-05
- **Configurations:** Systems utilizing affected Pixel cellular modem hardware/firmware
## Vulnerability Description
CVE-2026-58704 is a privilege escalation vulnerability residing in the Pixel Cellular Modem. The flaw stems from a logic error in the code that results in a permissions bypass. This allows an attacker to escalate privileges without requiring additional execution rights or user interaction.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Exploited in the wild (Limited, targeted exploitation)
- **Complexity:** Low (No user interaction or additional execution privileges required)
- **Attack Vector:** Adjacent (Proximal/Adjacent Network)
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Potential for unauthorized data access)
- **Integrity:** High (Permission bypass allows for unauthorized system modifications)
- **Availability:** High (Potential for modem service disruption)
## Remediation
### Patches
- **Security Patch Level 2026-09-05 or later:** Users should update their devices by navigating to **Settings > Security & privacy**.
### Workarounds
- No specific software workarounds have been provided. Immediate installation of the security update is the primary recommendation.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Google has not publicly shared specific IOCs or details regarding the nature of the targeted attacks.
- **Detection methods and tools:** Monitor for unusual modem behavior or unauthorized privilege changes, though these may be difficult to detect at the user level.
## References
- **Google Pixel Update Bulletin:** hxxps[://]source[.]android[.]com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-09-01
- **NIST NVD Entry:** hxxps[://]nvd[.]nist[.]gov/vuln/detail/cve-2026-58704
- **The Hacker News Article:** hxxps[://]thehackernews[.]com/2026/09/google-patches-pixel-modem-flaw-amid[.]html