CVE-2017-0395 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Contacts could enable a local malicious application to silently create contact information. This issue is rated as Moderate because it is a local bypass of user interaction requirements (access to functionality that would normally require either user initiation or user permission). Product: Android. Versions: 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1. Android ID: A-32219099.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0395 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Android Contacts application that allows malicious local applications to silently create contact information without proper user consent or interaction. This security weakness specifically affects Android versions 4.4.4 through 7.1 and is classified as Moderate severity due to its ability to bypass normal user interaction requirements that would typically be necessary for such functionality access. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and validation mechanisms within the Contacts provider component, which governs how contact data is managed and modified across the Android platform.
This technical flaw operates at the system level within Android's permission model, where a locally installed malicious application can exploit a gap in the Contacts framework's security checks. The vulnerability enables unauthorized data manipulation by leveraging the existing permissions granted to applications that have access to the Contacts provider. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the security model where proper access control validation fails to prevent unauthorized modifications. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to bypass the normal user consent mechanisms that should be required for creating new contact entries, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may unknowingly install malicious applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation as it creates a persistent backdoor for malicious actors to establish covert communication channels or store malicious contact data that could be used for further attacks. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to silently create contact entries that may contain phishing information, malware distribution points, or other malicious data that could be used for social engineering campaigns. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms, as it allows adversaries to maintain unauthorized access to contact data and potentially use this information for broader reconnaissance activities. The local nature of the attack means that no network connectivity or external user interaction is required for exploitation, making it particularly stealthy and difficult to detect.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0395 should focus on implementing proper access control validation within the Contacts provider and ensuring that all contact creation operations require explicit user consent or appropriate permission checks. System administrators and developers should prioritize updating affected Android versions to the latest security patches released by Google, as this vulnerability was addressed through subsequent security updates. The recommended approach includes implementing stricter validation mechanisms within the Contacts framework to prevent unauthorized modifications and ensuring that all applications accessing contact data must properly authenticate and authorize their actions. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of locally installed applications and monitor for suspicious contact data modifications that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining robust access control mechanisms within core system components and demonstrates how seemingly minor security gaps can provide significant attack vectors for malicious actors.