CVE-2017-0548 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A remote denial of service vulnerability in libskia 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: 7.0, 7.1.1. Android ID: A-33251605.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0548 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within the libskia graphics library component of Android operating systems. This library serves as a core graphics rendering engine responsible for processing various image formats and graphical operations across the Android platform. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions 7.0 and 7.1.1, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these operating system versions at the time of discovery. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the skia rendering engine, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted graphical files.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the libskia library processes malformed or specially constructed image files that trigger improper memory handling or infinite loop conditions within the graphics processing pipeline. When an attacker successfully delivers such a malicious file to a vulnerable Android device, the system's graphics subsystem becomes overwhelmed, leading to complete system hang or unexpected device reboot. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array index values, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to system instability. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the graphics rendering framework, making it particularly difficult to detect and mitigate through traditional application-level security measures.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Android device users and organizations relying on these platforms for business operations. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit the flaw without physical access to the target device, potentially affecting users through email attachments, web content, or file downloads from untrusted sources. The high severity rating reflects the potential for widespread disruption across affected Android deployments, as any device running Android 7.0 or 7.1.1 could be compromised. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a critical weakness in the Android platform's defensive posture against malicious content delivery.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0548 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Google as part of their regular security updates. Organizations should prioritize deployment of the Android security patch released in September 2017, which includes fixes for this vulnerability and related issues in the libskia library. Additionally, implementing network-level controls such as content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms can help reduce the attack surface by preventing potentially malicious files from reaching vulnerable devices. Security teams should also consider monitoring for unusual system behavior or reboot patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining awareness of similar vulnerabilities in other graphics processing libraries that could present analogous risks to the Android ecosystem.