CVE-2017-0399 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in lvm/wrapper/Bundle/EffectBundle.cpp in libeffects in the Qualcomm audio post processor could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it could be used to access sensitive data without permission. Product: Android. Versions: 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1. Android ID: A-32588756.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0399 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Qualcomm audio post processing framework, specifically affecting Android devices running versions 5.0.2 through 7.1. This issue resides in the lvm/wrapper/Bundle/EffectBundle.cpp component of the libeffects library, which serves as a foundational element in the Android audio processing pipeline. The flaw allows local malicious applications to bypass normal permission boundaries and access data that should be restricted to higher privilege levels, creating a significant security risk for device users and organizations relying on Android-based platforms for sensitive operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking and memory access controls within the audio effect bundle processing mechanism. When applications attempt to utilize audio post processing effects through the Qualcomm audio framework, the system fails to properly validate memory access boundaries during bundle processing operations. This allows a malicious application to craft specific inputs that cause the audio processing library to read beyond allocated memory regions, potentially exposing sensitive information from other processes or system memory areas. The vulnerability manifests as a classic buffer overread condition that violates standard memory safety principles and creates unauthorized data access pathways within the Android security model.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to extract sensitive data without requiring elevated privileges or exploiting additional attack vectors. The local nature of the exploit means that any application installed on the device can potentially leverage this flaw to access confidential information that should remain protected by the Android permission system. This includes but is not limited to audio processing parameters, system configuration data, and potentially other sensitive information stored in memory regions accessible through the compromised audio processing framework. The moderate severity rating reflects the fact that while the vulnerability requires local execution and does not enable remote exploitation, it still provides significant data access capabilities that could be leveraged for further attacks or information gathering.
Organizations and security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Android security patches released by Google, which address the memory access violations in the Qualcomm audio processing components. System administrators should also consider implementing application sandboxing measures and monitoring for unauthorized audio processing library usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as defined in the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in system-level components and highlights the need for comprehensive memory safety validation in audio processing frameworks that handle data from multiple applications and system processes.