CVE-2012-2980 in Galaxy S
Summary
by MITRE
The Samsung and HTC onTouchEvent method implementation for Android on the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide, HTC Merge, Sprint EVO Shift 4G, HTC ChaCha, AT&T Status, HTC Desire Z, T-Mobile G2, T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, and Samsung Galaxy S stores touch coordinates in the dmesg buffer, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application, as demonstrated by PIN numbers, telephone numbers, and text messages.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in Android mobile devices that affects multiple hardware platforms including Samsung Galaxy S and HTC devices. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of touch event coordinates within the Android framework, specifically in the onTouchEvent method implementation. When users interact with touch-sensitive interfaces on these devices, the touch coordinates are inadvertently stored in the kernel's dmesg buffer, which serves as a system log facility accessible to malicious applications.
The technical flaw resides in the Android operating system's touch event processing mechanism where coordinate data is not properly sanitized before being stored in system buffers. This occurs during the normal operation of touch input handling, where the system captures and processes touch coordinates for interface rendering but fails to ensure these coordinates remain within secure boundaries. The dmesg buffer, typically used for kernel debugging and system logging, becomes an unintended information repository containing sensitive user interaction data. This design flaw creates a persistent exposure where any application with sufficient privileges can access this buffer through standard system interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to extract sensitive information from affected devices without requiring physical access or complex exploitation techniques. The vulnerability specifically affects devices running Android on various carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T networks, making it widespread across multiple mobile platforms. Attackers can craft malicious applications that read from the dmesg buffer to obtain PIN numbers, telephone numbers, and text messages that were entered through touch interfaces. This represents a significant breach of user privacy and security, as it allows for the extraction of personal information that users might consider protected during normal device usage.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and demonstrates the principle of least privilege violation where sensitive data is exposed through unintended system channels. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1056.001, "Input Injection: GUI Input Injection," where attackers can manipulate or extract data from graphical user interfaces through system-level access. The threat model suggests that this vulnerability could be exploited by malicious applications that gain access to system-level logging facilities, potentially through privilege escalation or by leveraging legitimate system access. Security researchers have noted that this type of information exposure often goes undetected for extended periods due to the indirect nature of the data leakage mechanism.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers, kernel-level patches that prevent coordinate data from being stored in dmesg buffers, and application sandboxing improvements that restrict access to system logging facilities. Users should ensure their devices receive timely security updates, particularly those addressing kernel-level vulnerabilities. System administrators and security teams should monitor for unauthorized access to system logs and implement network-level monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Device manufacturers should implement stricter data sanitization processes for all input handling mechanisms and establish more robust boundaries between user interfaces and system logging functions. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and comprehensive security testing of system-level components, particularly those handling user input data that could inadvertently expose sensitive information through system buffers.