CVE-2017-0479 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Audioserver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged process. This issue is rated as High because it could be used to gain local access to elevated capabilities, which are not normally accessible to a third-party application. 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-32707507.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0479 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Android Audioserver component, which operates as a privileged system service responsible for managing audio functionality across the device. This vulnerability specifically affects Android versions ranging from 4.4.4 through 7.1.1, creating a persistent security risk that allows local malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute code within the context of the privileged Audioserver process. The flaw stems from improper input validation and access control mechanisms within the audio subsystem, enabling unauthorized code execution with elevated system privileges that should normally be restricted to trusted system components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, "Improper Input Validation," and CWE-269, "Improper Privilege Management," as it demonstrates how insufficient validation of audio-related inputs can lead to privilege escalation. Attackers exploiting this weakness can leverage the Audioserver's elevated permissions to gain access to system resources, modify critical audio configurations, or potentially establish persistent backdoors within the device's audio processing framework. The vulnerability operates at the system level where the Audioserver process runs with root privileges, making any exploitation directly impactful to the overall system security posture and creating a pathway for further compromise.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for Android devices as it allows any locally installed application to potentially gain root-level access to the device's audio subsystem and underlying system resources. The implications extend beyond simple audio manipulation to encompass broader system compromise, as the elevated privileges could enable attackers to access sensitive data, modify system files, or disable security controls. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where Android devices may be compromised or where users might unknowingly install malicious applications that exploit this weakness to establish persistent access to the device.
The exploitation of CVE-2017-0479 aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," and T1059, "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as attackers can leverage the privilege escalation to execute malicious commands with system-level privileges. Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Android security patches that address the Audioserver privilege escalation flaw, implementation of application sandboxing controls to limit audio service access, and regular security audits of system services. Organizations should also consider network-level monitoring for suspicious audio service activity and ensure proper system updates are deployed promptly to address this and similar vulnerabilities that could enable similar privilege escalation attacks against Android devices.