CVE-2017-0391 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability in decoder/ihevcd_decode.c in libhevc in Mediaserver could enable a remote attacker to use a specially crafted file to cause a device hang or reboot. This issue is rated as High due to the possibility of remote denial of service. Product: Android. Versions: 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1. Android ID: A-32322258.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
This vulnerability exists within the HEVC video decoder component of Android's media server implementation, specifically in the ihevcd_decode.c file within the libhevc library. The issue represents a critical denial of service condition that can be remotely exploited through carefully crafted malicious HEVC video files. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the decoder's processing pipeline, where malformed video data can cause the media server process to crash or become unresponsive, ultimately leading to device hang or forced reboot scenarios. This represents a significant security concern as it allows attackers to disrupt device functionality without requiring local access or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may encounter malicious content through various attack vectors.
The technical flaw manifests as a buffer overread condition or improper memory handling during video frame decoding operations, where the decoder fails to properly validate the structure and content of incoming HEVC streams before processing them. When maliciously crafted video data is fed into the vulnerable decoder, it triggers unexpected behavior in the memory management subsystem, causing the media server process to either consume excessive resources or encounter memory access violations that result in system instability. This vulnerability is classified as a high-risk issue due to its remote exploitability and the potential for widespread impact across all affected Android versions including 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, and 7.1, where the underlying libhevc library remains susceptible to the same memory handling flaws.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged to create persistent denial of service conditions that may require manual device reboot to resolve. Attackers can craft malicious video files that, when processed by the media server, will trigger the vulnerability automatically upon playback or even during automatic media scanning operations. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users may encounter malicious content through email attachments, web browsing, or file sharing applications. The affected Android versions represent a broad user base, increasing the potential attack surface significantly and making this vulnerability a prime target for exploitation in various threat scenarios.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment through Android security updates, as the vulnerability requires core system library modifications to address the underlying memory handling flaws. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize applying the relevant security patches to prevent exploitation, while users should avoid opening untrusted media files and keep their devices updated with the latest security releases. Additional defensive measures include implementing media content filtering at network level, disabling automatic media playback for unknown sources, and monitoring for unusual media server behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129 and CWE-131 categories related to improper input validation and buffer overflow conditions, and represents a potential technique in ATT&CK framework under the T1499.004 subcategory for network denial of service attacks targeting mobile platforms.