CVE-2017-0801 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A elevation of privilege vulnerability in the MediaTek libmtkomxvdec. Product: Android. Versions: Android kernel. Android ID: A-38447970. References: M-ALPS03337980.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0801 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the MediaTek libmtkomxvdec component of Android systems. This issue resides in the Android kernel and specifically affects the multimedia decoding framework that handles video processing operations. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the OMX (OpenMAX) video decoder implementation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges from a standard user context to system-level access. The affected MediaTek chipset implementations expose this weakness through their hardware-accelerated video decoding services, which are integral to Android's multimedia framework and commonly utilized across various mobile devices. The vulnerability impacts the core operating system functionality by allowing unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries that normally protect system resources and sensitive data.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2017-0801 occurs through a buffer overflow condition within the libmtkomxvdec library where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory structures during video decoding operations. This flaw typically manifests when processing specially crafted media files or through malicious applications that leverage the vulnerable OMX component. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and specifically aligns with CWE-125, representing out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities that can lead to privilege escalation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by constructing malicious input data that triggers the buffer overflow, potentially allowing them to overwrite critical memory regions including function pointers or return addresses within the execution context. The exploitation chain typically involves leveraging the vulnerable component through legitimate system interfaces while maintaining persistence and gaining root-level access to the device's operating environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating significant security implications for Android-based devices utilizing MediaTek chipsets. Devices running affected Android versions become susceptible to full system compromise, enabling attackers to access encrypted data, modify system files, install malicious applications, and potentially extract sensitive user information. The vulnerability affects a broad range of mobile devices including smartphones, tablets, and other Android-powered hardware that relies on MediaTek's hardware acceleration capabilities for multimedia processing. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques under the T1068 category, specifically targeting the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain higher-level system access. The impact is particularly severe because the vulnerability operates at the kernel level, making it extremely difficult to detect and mitigate through standard user-space security measures, and can persist across device reboots without proper system updates.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0801 require immediate implementation of security patches provided by device manufacturers and Android platform updates. Organizations should prioritize patch management protocols to ensure all affected devices receive the necessary firmware and kernel updates from MediaTek and Android vendors. System administrators must implement comprehensive monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish robust device management policies that enforce automatic security updates. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and thorough security testing of third-party components within mobile operating systems. Device manufacturers should implement additional runtime protections such as memory protection mechanisms and code integrity checks to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in multimedia frameworks and hardware acceleration components. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity for coordinated vulnerability disclosure processes and timely security updates across the Android ecosystem to protect users from widespread exploitation of kernel-level flaws.