CVE-2017-0684 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Android media framework. Product: Android. Versions: 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2. Android ID: A-35421151.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0684 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Android media framework that affects multiple versions of the operating system including Android 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, and 7.1.2. This vulnerability resides in the media framework component responsible for handling multimedia operations and processing, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate their privileges within the Android environment. The issue stems from improper validation of input parameters within the media processing pipeline, specifically in how the system handles certain media files and their associated metadata. The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-20, which denotes improper input validation, and presents a significant risk to Android devices since it allows unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when malicious media files are processed by the Android media framework, triggering a flaw in the privilege handling mechanisms. Attackers can craft specially formatted media files that, when opened or processed by the system, cause the framework to execute code with higher privileges than intended. This typically happens through buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption issues within the media processing code that allows attackers to manipulate the execution flow and gain access to system-level capabilities. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it can enable attackers to access sensitive system resources, modify critical system files, and potentially establish persistent backdoors on affected devices.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to Android users and organizations relying on these affected versions. The attack surface is broad since media files are commonly encountered through various channels including email attachments, web downloads, and file transfers. The exploitation process requires minimal user interaction, often only requiring the automatic processing of media files by the system, making it particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability can be leveraged to gain root access to devices, enabling attackers to fully compromise the Android system and access all user data, installed applications, and system configurations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code with elevated system privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0684 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Google as part of their regular security releases. Organizations should prioritize updating affected Android devices to versions that include the security fixes, particularly Android 7.1.3 and later versions which contain the necessary patches. System administrators should implement robust mobile device management policies that enforce automatic security updates and monitor for any suspicious media file processing activities. Additional protective measures include network-level filtering of media content, implementation of sandboxing techniques for media processing, and regular security audits of media handling components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in mobile operating systems.