CVE-2010-4804 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The Android browser in Android before 2.3.4 allows remote attackers to obtain SD card contents via crafted content:// URIs, related to (1) BrowserActivity.java and (2) BrowserSettings.java in com/android/browser/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4804 represents a critical security flaw in the Android browser component affecting versions prior to 2.3.4. This issue stems from improper handling of content:// URIs within the browser application, creating a pathway for remote attackers to access sensitive data stored on the device's SD card. The vulnerability specifically resides in two key files within the com/android/browser/ package: BrowserActivity.java and BrowserSettings.java, which together form the core functionality of the browser's URI handling mechanism. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper input validation and access control that allows malicious actors to craft specially formatted URIs that bypass normal security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the Android content provider framework, which is designed to enable secure data sharing between applications. However, the browser component failed to properly sanitize and validate content:// URIs, allowing attackers to construct malicious URIs that could traverse the file system and access files stored on the SD card. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate sandboxing mechanisms within the browser application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to access sensitive user data without requiring any special permissions or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious web page. The flaw operates at the application level and leverages the trust relationship between the browser and the content provider system.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant risk for Android users as it enables remote data exfiltration without user consent or awareness. Attackers can craft web pages containing malicious content:// URIs that automatically attempt to access and retrieve files from the SD card when the browser loads the page. This could include personal documents, photos, contact information, and other sensitive data that users might store on their device's external storage. The impact extends beyond individual privacy concerns to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft, identity information harvesting, and data corruption. The vulnerability affects all Android devices running versions before 2.3.4, representing a substantial portion of the Android user base at the time of discovery. This flaw aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and demonstrates how insufficient access control can lead to unauthorized data access.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves upgrading to Android 2.3.4 or later, which includes proper URI validation and access control mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web filtering and content inspection to prevent users from accessing malicious websites. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their devices updated. Security professionals should monitor for exploitation attempts and implement proper network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such attacks. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation within mobile applications, particularly those that interact with the underlying operating system's content provider framework. The issue demonstrates how seemingly benign functionality can create security risks when proper validation and access control measures are not implemented, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for executing malicious code and T1074 for data staging.