CVE-2015-5661 in AirDroid
Summary
by MITRE
The SAND STUDIO AirDroid application 1.1.0 and earlier for Android mishandles implicit intents, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5661 affects the SAND STUDIO AirDroid application version 1.1.0 and earlier on Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in how the application processes implicit intents. This weakness stems from improper handling of Android intent mechanisms that are designed to enable applications to request actions from other apps without specifying which app should perform them. The vulnerability creates a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the application's intent processing logic and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information through carefully crafted malicious applications that can manipulate the intent flow.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate or sanitize incoming implicit intents, allowing attackers to construct and send specially crafted intents that can trigger unintended application behavior. When the vulnerable AirDroid application receives these malformed intents, it processes them without adequate security checks, potentially exposing sensitive data or allowing unauthorized access to application functionality. This issue directly relates to CWE-225, which addresses improper handling of potentially dangerous input, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations that can occur when applications fail to properly validate input parameters. The vulnerability essentially allows for privilege escalation through intent manipulation, where an attacker-controlled application can leverage the AirDroid application's implicit intent handling to access protected resources or execute unauthorized operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to perform actions that should be restricted to legitimate users or system components. An attacker could potentially gain access to device files, network communications, or other sensitive data that the AirDroid application normally protects. The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves executing malicious code through application interfaces, and T1074, concerning data staging through application manipulation. The threat landscape for this vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through seemingly benign applications that simply need to send crafted intents to the vulnerable AirDroid application, making detection difficult and exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers with basic Android application development knowledge.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5661 should focus on implementing robust intent validation mechanisms within the AirDroid application and potentially updating to newer versions that address this specific vulnerability. The recommended approach includes adding explicit intent validation checks that verify the source and content of incoming intents before processing them, implementing proper access controls that prevent unauthorized applications from triggering sensitive operations, and utilizing explicit intents instead of implicit ones where possible to reduce the attack surface. Security patches should enforce strict validation of intent parameters, implement proper authentication checks for sensitive operations, and ensure that the application only processes intents from trusted sources. Organizations should also consider network monitoring to detect unusual intent traffic patterns and implement application sandboxing to limit the potential impact of exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure intent handling practices and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws in Android application design can create significant security risks that affect user privacy and device security.