CVE-2008-5826 in 6131 Nfc
Summary
by MITRE
The Nokia 6131 Near Field Communication (NFC) phone with 05.12 firmware allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device crash) via (1) a large value in the payload length field in an NDEF record, or a certain length for a (2) tel: or (3) sms: NDEF URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5826 affects the Nokia 6131 mobile device running firmware version 05.12, specifically targeting its Near Field Communication implementation. This device operates within the mobile communication ecosystem where NFC technology facilitates short-range wireless data exchange between devices. The flaw resides in the NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) record processing mechanism, which governs how NFC data is structured and interpreted during communication sessions. The vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the device's input validation and buffer management capabilities, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to disrupt normal device operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper handling of NDEF record structures during parsing operations. When processing NFC data, the device fails to adequately validate the payload length field within NDEF records, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads with excessively large length values. This malformed data triggers buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption within the NFC processing stack. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to specific URI schemes including tel: and sms: which are commonly used for telephone and messaging services within NFC communications. The flaw exploits weaknesses in the device's URI parsing logic where certain length parameters in these specific URI formats can cause the NFC stack to crash or become unresponsive.
The operational impact of this vulnerability presents significant risks to device availability and user experience within mobile communication environments. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to induce device crashes without requiring physical access or specialized equipment, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where mobile devices serve critical communication functions. The denial of service condition effectively renders the NFC functionality unusable, potentially disrupting emergency services, contact sharing, or payment transactions that depend on NFC capabilities. This vulnerability also demonstrates the broader challenge of secure embedded systems design where resource-constrained mobile devices must balance functionality with robust security measures against malformed input data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and boundary checking mechanisms within the NFC processing components. The device firmware should incorporate strict validation of NDEF record length fields and enforce maximum size limits for URI parameters to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Security patches should include enhanced error handling routines that gracefully manage malformed data without causing system crashes. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based monitoring solutions to detect anomalous NFC communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of length fields, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1547.001 for privilege escalation through device manipulation. The incident highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems and the need for comprehensive security testing of communication protocols before deployment in production environments.