CVE-2012-1401 in CamScanner
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the CamScanner (com.intsig.camscanner) application 1.2.2.20110823 and 1.3.2.20120116 for Android has unknown impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1401 affects the CamScanner mobile application version 1.2.2.20110823 and 1.3.2.20120116 for the android platform. This application, developed by intsig, was designed for document scanning and sharing functionality on mobile devices. The vulnerability exists within the application's handling of data processing and storage mechanisms, though specific technical details regarding the precise flaw remain undisclosed in the initial description. The affected versions represent a period when mobile document scanning applications were rapidly gaining popularity and were often used to process sensitive business and personal documents. These applications typically required users to upload scanned documents to cloud services for sharing, storage, and collaboration, creating potential attack surfaces that could be exploited by malicious actors. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests that it could potentially affect multiple aspects of the application's functionality including data integrity, user privacy, or system security controls. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that security researchers and vendors had not yet fully characterized the exact technical mechanism that could be exploited, making it particularly concerning for users who had not yet received patches or updates.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability likely involved manipulation of the application's data processing pipeline or storage mechanisms during document scanning and upload operations. Given the nature of mobile document scanning applications, the flaw could potentially have enabled attackers to modify scanned documents before upload, intercept sensitive information during transmission, or gain unauthorized access to user data stored within the application's local or cloud storage systems. The vulnerability's impact would have been particularly severe considering that CamScanner was designed for business and professional use cases where document confidentiality and integrity were paramount. Mobile applications of this nature often handled sensitive corporate documents, personal identification documents, and other confidential materials that required robust security controls. The attack vectors for such vulnerabilities in mobile applications typically involve manipulation of local storage, network communication, or application data handling processes. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests that it could potentially allow for privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or manipulation of application behavior that would not have been anticipated by the application developers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple data exposure to potentially compromise the overall security posture of users who relied on the application for document management and sharing. Organizations that had deployed CamScanner for business document processing would have faced potential risks including unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information, document tampering, or data breaches that could have resulted in regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability could have enabled attackers to intercept and modify documents in transit, potentially leading to fraudulent activities or the compromise of business-critical information. Mobile device security was particularly concerning during this period as many applications had not yet implemented comprehensive security measures, and users often had limited awareness of the security risks associated with mobile document processing. The vulnerability's potential for remote exploitation meant that attackers could potentially compromise user devices without requiring physical access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where mobile devices were commonly used for accessing sensitive business information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability would have required immediate patching of affected application versions and implementation of enhanced security controls within the application's architecture. Users should have been advised to update to the latest available version of the application as soon as patches became available, while organizations needed to implement mobile device management policies to ensure timely updates. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of secure coding practices in mobile applications, particularly regarding data handling, network communication, and storage security. Security researchers and vendors would have needed to conduct thorough analysis of the application's code to identify and remediate the specific flaw, potentially implementing measures such as input validation, secure data transmission protocols, and enhanced access controls. Organizations should have also considered implementing additional security monitoring and incident response procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscored the need for comprehensive security testing of mobile applications before deployment, particularly those handling sensitive data. This incident demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date mobile security practices and the necessity of implementing robust security controls in mobile document processing applications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability also emphasized the need for continuous security monitoring and threat intelligence to identify potential exploitation patterns and develop appropriate defensive measures.
This vulnerability aligns with several common security weaknesses identified in mobile application development, including potential issues related to data integrity and confidentiality as categorized under CWE-254, which addresses security weaknesses in mobile applications. The vulnerability could also potentially map to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and credential access, particularly when considering the potential for unauthorized access to user documents and data stored within the application. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability also reflects the challenges in mobile security assessment and the importance of comprehensive security testing for mobile applications handling sensitive data. The incident serves as a reminder of the critical security considerations that must be addressed in mobile document processing applications, where the combination of mobile device vulnerabilities and application flaws can create significant security risks for both individual users and enterprise organizations.