CVE-2017-0487 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability in Mediaserver could enable an attacker to use a specially crafted file to cause a device hang or reboot. This issue is rated as High severity due to the possibility of remote denial of service. Product: Android. Versions: 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1. Android ID: A-33751193.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0487 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Android mediaserver component that affects multiple versions including Android 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, and 7.1.1. This issue resides in the core media processing framework responsible for handling various multimedia file formats and streaming protocols on Android devices. The mediaserver process operates with elevated privileges and serves as a central hub for media decoding, encoding, and playback operations across the Android platform. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious media files that trigger abnormal behavior in the mediaserver daemon, resulting in system instability and potential device crashes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the mediaserver's media parsing routines. Specifically, the flaw manifests when the system processes specially crafted media files that contain malformed or excessively large data structures that exceed the buffer limits or trigger integer overflow conditions. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a buffer overflow condition, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to corrupt memory structures. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be executed remotely through various media delivery channels including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious applications that leverage the Android media framework. The vulnerability operates at the system level rather than requiring user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without explicit user consent or awareness.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0487 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the overall security posture of affected devices. When triggered, the vulnerability causes the mediaserver process to crash or hang, leading to complete device reboots or unresponsive states that can persist until manual intervention occurs. This denial of service condition affects all multimedia functionality on the device, rendering applications unable to access media playback capabilities and potentially causing cascading failures in dependent system services. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, as it can be leveraged to create persistent availability issues. The vulnerability also represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where device management and reliability are paramount, as it could be exploited to disrupt business operations or compromise security monitoring systems that rely on consistent device availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment through official Android security updates, as the flaw affects core system components that cannot be easily isolated or patched through application-level solutions. Organizations should implement proactive monitoring for suspicious media file handling activities and establish secure media processing policies that validate all incoming media content before processing. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in system-level components, as highlighted by security frameworks such as the CERT Secure Coding Standards. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing additional sandboxing mechanisms around media processing components and establish automated threat detection systems that can identify and block malicious media files before they reach the vulnerable mediaserver process. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of media processing pipelines to identify similar vulnerabilities that could be exploited for more severe attacks.