CVE-2017-0634 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the Synaptics touchscreen driver could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-32511682.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0634 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the Synaptics touchscreen driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.18. This issue manifests as a privilege escalation vector that allows local malicious applications to bypass normal access controls and retrieve data that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. The vulnerability resides in the kernel-level driver implementation that manages touchscreen input functionality, creating an unexpected pathway for unauthorized data access. The flaw specifically impacts the privilege separation mechanisms that should normally prevent unprivileged processes from accessing sensitive kernel memory regions or system resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the Synaptics touchscreen driver implementation. When the driver processes touchscreen input events or handles device communication protocols, it fails to properly validate the privilege context of requesting processes. This allows a malicious application to craft specific input sequences or memory access patterns that can trigger unintended data exposure. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where the driver maintains direct access to hardware resources and system memory, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited to access sensitive system information, device configuration data, or even other processes' memory spaces. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-200, which describes improper information disclosure vulnerabilities in software systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0634 is substantial despite requiring an initial compromise of a privileged process to achieve full exploitation. The vulnerability creates a pathway for lateral movement within the system once an attacker has already gained some level of access, potentially allowing them to escalate privileges further or extract sensitive information from the device. The local nature of the vulnerability means that an attacker must first establish a foothold on the device through other means such as installing a malicious application or exploiting a different vulnerability in the Android application framework. However, once this initial compromise occurs, the information disclosure capability can be leveraged to access additional system resources that would normally be protected. This vulnerability particularly affects mobile devices where touchscreen interaction is fundamental to user experience, making it a target for attackers seeking to access device-specific information or user data.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and credential access. The requirement for an initial compromise aligns with the ATT&CK tactic of initial access, while the information disclosure aspect relates to credential access and privilege escalation techniques. The vulnerability's classification as moderate severity reflects the fact that exploitation requires a pre-existing compromise, but the potential for further system compromise makes it a serious concern. The Synaptics driver implementation represents a common attack surface in Android systems where third-party hardware drivers can introduce unexpected security weaknesses. Organizations and users should be particularly concerned about this vulnerability in environments where mobile devices handle sensitive information or where device security is paramount. The impact extends beyond simple data leakage to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks that could compromise the entire device or user session. This vulnerability underscores the importance of proper kernel driver security testing and the need for comprehensive security reviews of hardware abstraction layers in mobile operating systems.