CVE-2017-0595 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in libstagefright in Mediaserver 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-34705519.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0595 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the libstagefright library component of Android's Mediaserver process. This issue resides in the multimedia framework that handles various media file processing operations, making it a prime target for exploitation due to its widespread use and privileged execution context. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions ranging from 4.4.4 through 7.1.1, indicating a substantial attack surface across multiple generations of the mobile operating system. According to the Android security advisory A-34705519, this flaw enables local malicious applications to execute arbitrary code within the context of privileged processes, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries that typically protect system-level operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the stagefright media processing library. When processing specially crafted media files or data streams, the library fails to properly validate buffer boundaries and memory allocations, creating potential for heap-based buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions. This flaw operates at the intersection of multimedia processing and system privilege management, where legitimate media processing operations can be manipulated to trigger unauthorized code execution. The vulnerability's classification as High severity reflects its potential to grant attackers access to elevated system capabilities that are normally restricted to system-level processes, including access to sensitive system resources, device control functions, and potential privilege escalation to root-level access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security implications for Android devices as it allows a locally installed malicious application to leverage the Mediaserver's elevated privileges without requiring additional exploitation vectors or user interaction. The attack scenario typically involves a malicious app that can trigger media processing through the affected library, potentially through crafted media files, network streams, or even through legitimate media processing operations that the application can initiate. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential full device compromise, as the compromised Mediaserver process often operates with high-level system permissions and can access critical device functions and data stores. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and represents a classic example of how multimedia processing components can serve as attack vectors for privilege escalation attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0595 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patch management, as the primary fix involves applying the security patches released by Google for the affected Android versions. Organizations and users should prioritize updating to Android versions that include the patched libstagefright implementation, typically Android 7.1.2 and later releases. Additional defensive measures include implementing application sandboxing controls, monitoring for unusual media processing activities, and employing mobile device management solutions that can enforce security policies and restrict potentially malicious applications from accessing system-level resources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in system-level libraries and highlights how seemingly benign functionality can become a critical security weakness when proper input validation and memory management are not implemented. Security professionals should also consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, where attackers can leverage system components to gain elevated access without requiring complex exploitation methods or user interaction.