CVE-2015-6601 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
libstagefright in Android before 5.1.1 LMY48T allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted media file, aka internal bug 22935234.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6601 affects the libstagefright media processing library in Android versions prior to 5.1.1 LMY48T. This critical flaw resides within the multimedia framework that handles various audio and video file formats, making it a prime target for remote exploitation. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the stagefright component, which is responsible for decoding and processing multimedia content across the Android platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a memory corruption issue that occurs when processing specially crafted media files. Attackers can exploit this flaw by preparing malicious media content that, when parsed by libstagefright, triggers buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. The vulnerability specifically targets the way the library handles certain media format structures, particularly within the MP4 and 3GP container formats. This allows remote attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the media processing service, typically running with system-level permissions.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6601 is severe and far-reaching across the Android ecosystem. Given that libstagefright is integral to Android's multimedia processing capabilities, any device running affected Android versions is vulnerable to remote code execution attacks. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious media files shared via messaging applications. This makes it particularly dangerous as users can be compromised simply by viewing or playing a malicious media file, without any user interaction beyond the automatic media processing that occurs in modern Android devices.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The memory corruption aspects of this flaw also relate to CWE-787, out-of-bounds write conditions, and CWE-476, null pointer dereference. Organizations and users must understand that this vulnerability represents a fundamental security weakness in Android's core multimedia infrastructure that could allow attackers to gain complete system control.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-6601 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Google. Users should upgrade to Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and memory management within libstagefright. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level filtering to block suspicious media file types, disabling automatic media playback in email clients, and maintaining updated security software that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security administrators should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all devices running affected Android versions and prioritize their remediation to prevent potential compromise of corporate networks through mobile device attacks.