CVE-2012-4248 in Kindle Touch
Summary
by MITRE
The Amazon Kindle Touch before 5.1.2 does not properly restrict access to the libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin interface, which might allow remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via vectors involving the (1) dev.log, (2) lipc.set, (3) lipc.get, or (4) todo.scheduleItems method, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-4249.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2024
The CVE-2012-4248 vulnerability affects the Amazon Kindle Touch device prior to firmware version 5.1.2, exposing a critical security flaw in the device's plugin interface implementation. This vulnerability resides within the libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin component that handles various system interactions through multiple exposed methods. The flaw represents a privilege escalation and access control issue that could potentially allow remote attackers to execute unauthorized operations on the device. The vulnerability specifically impacts four distinct methods: dev.log, lipc.set, lipc.get, and todo.scheduleItems, each of which provides different capabilities for system interaction and data manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the NPAPI plugin interface, which operates outside the normal security boundaries of the device's operating system. The libkindleplugin.so component acts as a bridge between the device's web-based interfaces and its underlying system services, but fails to properly validate or restrict access to its exported methods. This creates an attack surface where remote adversaries can potentially invoke these methods without proper authentication or authorization, leading to unauthorized system modifications. The vulnerability manifests through the exposed IPC (Inter-Process Communication) mechanisms that allow external entities to communicate with the device's core services, bypassing normal security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with multiple vectors for system manipulation and data exploitation. Through the dev.log method, attackers could potentially inject malicious log entries or gain access to sensitive system logging information. The lipc.set and lipc.get methods enable manipulation of device configuration parameters and retrieval of system information respectively, while todo.scheduleItems could be exploited to schedule malicious operations or modify task execution. This multi-vector approach increases the attack surface and provides multiple pathways for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for devices that are frequently connected to untrusted networks or web services.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a classic case of insufficient privilege enforcement in plugin interfaces. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique, specifically leveraging the "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" tactic. The vulnerability demonstrates the risks associated with exposing complex plugin interfaces without proper access controls, particularly in embedded systems where such interfaces may not be properly sandboxed or restricted. The impact is significant for users who rely on Kindle devices for sensitive content consumption, as the vulnerability could potentially lead to data exfiltration, system compromise, or unauthorized modifications to device functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4248 require immediate firmware updates to version 5.1.2 or later, which addresses the access control flaws in the libkindleplugin.so interface. Organizations and users should implement network monitoring to detect unusual communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around the exposed IPC methods. Device administrators should consider network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation vectors, while also implementing regular security assessments of embedded systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in plugin interfaces, particularly in devices that expose web-based management interfaces or allow external communication with system services. Regular security audits of embedded systems and proper security testing of plugin interfaces should be mandated to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future device releases.