CVE-2015-8224 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei P8 before GRA-CL00C92B210, before GRA-L09C432B200, before GRA-TL00C01B210, and before GRA-UL00C00B210 allows remote attackers to obtain user equipment (aka UE) measurements of signal strengths.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8224 affects Huawei P8 mobile devices running specific firmware versions including GRA-CL00C92B210, GRA-L09C432B200, GRA-TL00C01B210, and GRA-UL00C00B210. This security flaw represents a significant privacy and operational risk within mobile telecommunications ecosystems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and improper implementation of radio frequency measurement interfaces that are typically used for network optimization and device performance monitoring. Attackers can exploit this weakness to remotely access sensitive signal strength measurements that are normally protected within the device's operating system.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically involving improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized parties to access sensitive system information. The technical flaw manifests through the device's telephony stack where signal strength measurements are exposed through insecure communication channels or APIs that lack proper authentication and authorization checks. The implementation of these measurement interfaces does not adequately validate the source of requests or enforce proper privilege levels, creating an attack surface that adversaries can leverage to gather detailed information about cellular network conditions from target devices. The measurements collected include signal strength indicators, network quality metrics, and potentially location-related data that can be correlated to infer user movement patterns and device locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to encompass broader security implications for mobile network users and infrastructure operators. Remote attackers can utilize this vulnerability to perform reconnaissance activities without physical access to devices, gathering intelligence about network coverage, signal quality, and potentially identifying optimal locations for further attacks. The ability to obtain UE measurements enables adversaries to map cellular network coverage, identify network congestion points, and potentially conduct targeted attacks against specific geographic areas. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise users and individuals who rely on mobile communications for sensitive activities, as the gathered information could be used for social engineering attacks, location tracking, or coordinated network disruption attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8224 should focus on firmware updates and network-level protections. Device manufacturers should implement proper access control mechanisms that validate all requests to measurement interfaces and enforce strict authentication requirements. Network operators should monitor for suspicious patterns in signal strength reporting that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 Credential Access through social engineering, as attackers can gather information that enables more sophisticated targeting of users and networks. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to device measurement interfaces. Additionally, users should be advised to keep their devices updated with the latest firmware releases from Huawei, as the company has addressed this vulnerability in subsequent software updates. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that measurement interfaces are properly secured and that no unauthorized access paths remain available to external parties.