CVE-2008-6775 in Touch Pro
Summary
by MITRE
HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch Cruise vCard allows remote attackers to cause denial of service (CPU consumption, SMS consumption, and connectivity loss) via a flood of vCards to UDP port 9204.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-6775 represents a significant denial of service flaw affecting HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch Cruise mobile devices. This issue specifically targets the vCard processing functionality implemented in these smartphones, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt normal device operations through carefully crafted network traffic. The vulnerability manifests when the affected devices receive a flood of vCard data packets transmitted to UDP port 9204, which serves as the designated communication channel for vCard exchange in these mobile platforms.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and resource management within the vCard handling component of the mobile operating system. When the device receives multiple vCard messages simultaneously, the processing routines fail to properly handle the volume of incoming data, leading to excessive CPU utilization as the system attempts to parse and process each malformed or malicious vCard. This CPU overconsumption creates a cascade effect that can ultimately render the device unresponsive or cause complete system failure. Additionally, the vulnerability impacts SMS functionality and overall connectivity, as the device's communication channels become saturated and unable to process legitimate network traffic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise user productivity and device reliability. Mobile users operating HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch Cruise devices become vulnerable to attacks that can cause their phones to freeze, restart unexpectedly, or lose network connectivity entirely. The SMS consumption aspect of the vulnerability means that attackers can potentially prevent users from receiving important notifications or communications, while the CPU exhaustion can lead to complete device incapacitation. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where mobile device reliability is critical for business operations or personal safety.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and represents a classic denial of service attack vector. The attack pattern follows the techniques outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for "Network Denial of Service" and T1566 for "Phishing with Malicious Attachments" where vCard files serve as the malicious payload. The UDP port 9204 represents a well-known service endpoint that was commonly used for vCard synchronization in mobile devices of that era, making it an ideal target for exploitation. Organizations and individuals should implement network segmentation and traffic filtering to prevent unauthorized access to UDP port 9204, while also ensuring that mobile device firmware is regularly updated to address known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in mobile operating systems and the necessity of proper input validation for all network-received data, particularly in protocols that handle user data exchange such as vCard format specifications.