CVE-2017-0642 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A remote denial of service vulnerability in libhevc 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: 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2. Android ID: A-34819017.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2017-0642 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within the libhevc library component of Android's Mediaserver service. This issue affects multiple Android versions including 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, and 7.1.2, making it a widespread concern across the Android ecosystem. The vulnerability resides in the handling of HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) video files, which are increasingly common in modern multimedia applications and device communications. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious HEVC files that can trigger system instability, leading to device hangs or complete reboots when processed by the vulnerable Mediaserver component.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the libhevc library's parsing mechanisms. When the Mediaserver processes specially crafted HEVC video files, the library fails to properly validate the structure and content of the video stream, resulting in memory corruption or unexpected behavior that causes the system to become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. The flaw demonstrates a classic buffer overflow or memory management issue where the parsing logic does not adequately check the bounds of video data structures, allowing malicious input to overwrite critical memory regions and cause system crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to Android devices as it can be exploited remotely through various attack vectors including malicious email attachments, compromised websites, or malicious messaging applications. The high severity rating reflects the potential for widespread impact, as any device running the affected Android versions could be compromised. The denial of service nature means that attackers can repeatedly cause devices to crash or reboot, effectively rendering them unusable and potentially disrupting critical communications or services. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage for system manipulation.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the security patches released by Google as part of their regular Android security updates. Organizations and users should immediately install the latest security updates for their Android devices, particularly those addressing the A-34819017 Android ID. System administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider restricting HEVC file downloads or processing in enterprise environments. Additionally, device manufacturers should ensure that their firmware updates include the necessary patches for libhevc library components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation and memory management in multimedia processing libraries, as these components often handle untrusted data from various sources and must maintain system stability under all circumstances.