CVE-2017-0695 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability in the Android media framework. 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-37094889.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0695 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the Android media framework that affects multiple versions of the operating system from android 5.0.2 through 7.1.2. This flaw resides in the media processing components that handle various multimedia formats and protocols, creating a potential pathway for adversaries to disrupt normal device operations. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of malformed media data structures that can cause the underlying media framework to crash or become unresponsive, effectively rendering the device incapable of processing media content until manual intervention or device reboot occurs.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Android media framework's parsing mechanisms. When the system encounters specially crafted media files or streams containing malformed data structures, the processing routines fail to properly sanitize or reject the invalid inputs, leading to abrupt termination of media processing threads or complete system hang conditions. This behavior aligns with common software security principles where inadequate boundary checking and input validation creates exploitable conditions that can be leveraged for denial of service attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the media framework's ability to handle certain media container formats and codec configurations, where the parsing logic does not adequately account for edge cases or malformed data sequences that could cause memory corruption or thread termination.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0695 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect device usability and user productivity. Mobile devices that encounter this vulnerability may become completely unresponsive during media processing operations, requiring users to perform manual device restarts to restore normal functionality. In enterprise environments, this could lead to significant operational disruptions where multiple devices are affected simultaneously, particularly in scenarios involving multimedia content distribution or streaming services. The vulnerability's presence in such widely deployed Android versions means that a substantial portion of the mobile device ecosystem remains susceptible to exploitation, creating a substantial risk for organizations relying on Android-based devices for business operations.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 related to network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates how media processing components can become attack vectors when proper input sanitization is not implemented, creating a pathway for adversaries to target device availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by google and monitoring for suspicious media content downloads or streaming activities. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing content filtering measures to prevent potentially malicious media files from reaching end-user devices, while also ensuring that device firmware updates are deployed promptly to address this and related vulnerabilities within the Android media framework.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of robust input validation in multimedia processing systems and demonstrate how seemingly benign functionality can become a security risk when proper safeguards are not implemented. This flaw serves as a reminder that media frameworks, which are essential components of modern mobile operating systems, require continuous security hardening to prevent exploitation through malformed data inputs. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Android versions underscores the need for comprehensive security testing and validation of media processing components throughout the software development lifecycle, ensuring that proper boundary checking and input validation mechanisms are implemented before deployment to production environments.