CVE-2017-0729 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Android media framework (mediadrmserver). 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-37710346.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2017-0729 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Android media framework, specifically affecting the mediadrmserver component. This issue resides in the Android operating system's media playback infrastructure and has been identified as a significant security weakness that could allow attackers to escalate their privileges from a standard application user to a system-level privileged user. The vulnerability 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, indicating a broad impact across the Android ecosystem. The Android ID A-37710346 further categorizes this vulnerability within the Android security tracking system, highlighting its severity and the need for immediate attention from device manufacturers and users.
The technical flaw in the mediadrmserver component stems from improper input validation and privilege management within the media framework's handling of digital rights management operations. This vulnerability allows a malicious application to exploit a privilege escalation path by manipulating specific media processing functions that should only be accessible to system-level components. The flaw typically involves a lack of proper access controls or insufficient sanitization of inputs passed to the media framework, enabling unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-269: "Improper Privilege Management" and potentially CWE-787: "Out-of-bounds Write" if buffer overflow conditions are present during media processing. The attack vector likely involves sending specially crafted media content or DRM-related parameters that trigger the vulnerable code path within the mediadrmserver process.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0729 is severe as it provides attackers with system-level privileges that could enable complete device compromise. Once exploited, an attacker could gain access to sensitive system resources, modify critical system files, install malicious applications, access encrypted data, and potentially escalate to full administrative control of the device. The vulnerability's presence in the media framework means that any application with media playback capabilities could potentially exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous as it could be triggered through legitimate media applications. This privilege escalation could lead to data theft, persistent backdoor installation, and complete device takeover, with implications for both individual privacy and enterprise security. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1068: "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and potentially T1059: "Command and Scripting Interpreter" if the attacker uses the elevated privileges to execute additional malicious commands or scripts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0729 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Android versions through official security updates from device manufacturers. Organizations and individuals should ensure their devices receive the latest security patches released by Google and their respective manufacturers. Device administrators should implement strict application permission controls and monitor for unauthorized applications that might attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Network security measures should include monitoring for suspicious media content downloads or unusual system behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any potentially compromised systems and implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in system-level components and the need for comprehensive input validation and privilege management in media processing frameworks to prevent similar issues in future implementations.