CVE-2017-0393 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability in libvpx 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: 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1. Android ID: A-30436808.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0393 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the libvpx library component of Android's Mediaserver system. This flaw exists in multiple Android versions including 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, and 7.1, making it a widespread concern across the Android ecosystem. The libvpx library serves as a crucial component for decoding vp8 and vp9 video codecs, which are extensively used in multimedia applications and system services. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious media files that can trigger system instability, leading to device hangs or complete reboots. The issue is classified as High severity due to its remote exploitability and potential to disrupt system availability without requiring local privileges or user interaction.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation within the libvpx library's video decoding routines. Specifically, the Mediaserver process fails to properly validate the structure and content of vp8 and vp9 video streams before processing them. When processing specially crafted malicious files, the library does not adequately handle malformed data structures or excessive memory allocations, leading to memory corruption or infinite loop conditions. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the decoding process through carefully constructed video parameters that cause the system to enter an unrecoverable state. The vulnerability manifests as a buffer overflow condition or stack corruption that ultimately results in process termination and subsequent system reboot to recover from the instability.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0393 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a significant threat to device availability and user experience across affected Android platforms. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform denial of service attacks against any Android device running the vulnerable versions, potentially affecting both consumer and enterprise devices. The attack vector requires no special privileges and can be executed through standard media file delivery methods such as email attachments, web downloads, or malicious applications. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various channels without requiring user interaction or system compromise. The resulting device reboots or hangs can disrupt critical communications, prevent access to important applications, and potentially lead to data loss in scenarios where devices are used in mission-critical environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Google and device manufacturers. The recommended approach involves deploying the latest Android security updates that contain fixes for the libvpx library, specifically addressing the input validation flaws in the video decoding process. Organizations should prioritize patch management and ensure all affected devices receive timely updates to prevent exploitation. Additionally, network-level filtering and sandboxing measures can help reduce the attack surface by limiting access to potentially malicious media content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions in heap-based memory management, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for denial of service via resource exhaustion. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual reboot patterns or system instability that may indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining awareness of the broader attack landscape targeting multimedia processing components in mobile operating systems.