CVE-2017-0420 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in AOSP Mail could enable a local malicious application to bypass operating system protections that isolate application data from other applications. This issue is rated as High because it could be used to gain access to data that the application does not have access to. Product: Android. Versions: 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1. Android ID: A-32615212.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0420 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Android Open Source Project Mail application that fundamentally undermines the operating system's application sandboxing mechanisms. This security weakness resides in the mail application's handling of inter-process communications and data isolation protocols, creating a pathway for malicious local applications to bypass essential security boundaries that normally prevent unauthorized access to other applications' data stores. The vulnerability affects multiple Android versions including 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, and 7.1.1, indicating a widespread impact across the Android ecosystem that spans several major releases and represents a significant oversight in the platform's security architecture.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper validation of inter-application communication channels within the mail application's framework, specifically in how it manages shared resources and data access permissions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to manipulate the application's security context and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain isolated within other applications' data compartments. This represents a violation of the fundamental principle of least privilege that governs application security in modern mobile operating systems, where each application should only have access to its own designated data storage and resources. The vulnerability's classification as High severity stems from its ability to potentially expose confidential user data including emails, contacts, and other personal information that applications typically store in protected storage areas, making it particularly dangerous for privacy and data protection.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for Android users and organizations that rely on the platform for sensitive communications and data management. The local nature of the attack means that malicious applications must already be installed on the device, but this requirement does not diminish the severity of the impact since many applications have access to sensitive user data that could be exploited. The vulnerability directly impacts the Android security model's core tenets of data isolation and process separation, potentially allowing attackers to aggregate information from multiple applications or extract sensitive data that would normally be protected by the operating system's access control mechanisms. This could enable sophisticated attacks such as credential theft, personal information harvesting, or even privilege escalation within the device's security boundaries.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both device manufacturers and end users, as the flaw exists in core system components that cannot be easily patched through standard application updates. Android security patches addressing this issue should be applied immediately to all affected versions, with particular emphasis on devices running the vulnerable Android versions where the mail application's security context can be manipulated. System administrators and security professionals should implement additional monitoring for suspicious inter-process communication patterns and consider network segmentation or application control measures to limit the potential impact of compromised applications. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Android device management policies and ensure that only trusted applications are installed on corporate devices. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how flaws in system-level applications can create cascading security risks that affect the entire operating environment. The issue aligns with CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) and represents a specific implementation weakness in Android's security model that could be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access through local application exploitation.