CVE-2017-0489 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Location Manager could enable a local malicious application to bypass operating system protections for location data. This issue is rated as Moderate because it could be used to generate inaccurate data. 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-33091107.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0489 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Android's Location Manager component that undermines fundamental operating system security controls. This issue 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. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the location data handling mechanisms, allowing malicious applications to circumvent the normal security boundaries that protect location information from unauthorized access or modification.
The technical flaw manifests in the Location Manager's failure to properly validate or enforce access permissions when processing location data requests. This weakness creates an exploitable path where a locally installed malicious application can manipulate or access location information that should be restricted to legitimate system services or authorized applications only. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level or system service layer, where location data is processed and managed, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses the standard Android security model that typically enforces strict permission boundaries between applications and system resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to user privacy and data integrity. Attackers could potentially harvest sensitive location data, track user movements, or inject false location information into the system, leading to inaccurate location-based services and potential security breaches. The moderate severity rating reflects the fact that while exploitation requires local access to a device, the impact extends beyond simple data theft to include the potential for creating false location records that could be used in various malicious activities. This aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in operating system design.
The implications of this vulnerability extend to various attack vectors within the Android security framework, particularly concerning the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques. Malicious actors could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to location services, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as location-based social engineering or targeted surveillance operations. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of location-based applications and services that depend on accurate location data for their functionality, potentially compromising services like ride-sharing platforms, emergency response systems, or location-based security applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0489 should focus on immediate patch deployment and system updates, as well as enhanced monitoring of location data access patterns. Organizations and users should ensure all affected Android devices receive security updates promptly, while system administrators should implement additional monitoring controls to detect unusual location data access or modification patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in system services, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of core Android components. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of installing untrusted applications that might exploit such vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to their location data and personal information.