CVE-2017-13185 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the Android media framework (libhevc). Product: Android. Versions: 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0. Android ID: A-65123471.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2017-13185 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Android media framework, specifically affecting the libhevc library responsible for handling high efficiency video coding. This issue manifests in Android versions 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, and 8.0, making it a widespread concern across multiple Android releases. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory structures during video decoding processes, creating potential pathways for unauthorized data exposure. The Android ID A-65123471 indicates this was properly tracked and addressed within Google's internal vulnerability management system, highlighting the severity of the issue.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate bounds checking and memory management within the HEVC decoder implementation. When processing specially crafted video content, the libhevc library fails to properly validate input parameters, leading to out-of-bounds memory reads that can expose sensitive information from adjacent memory regions. This type of flaw falls under CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a classic example of memory safety issues in multimedia processing components. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the media framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially expose system memory contents including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other confidential data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to extract sensitive data that might be stored in adjacent memory locations. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious video files that, when processed by the affected Android devices, would trigger the out-of-bounds read condition. This could result in exposure of system memory contents including potentially sensitive information such as encryption keys, authentication tokens, or other confidential data that applications or system components have stored in memory. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Android versions suggests it was a fundamental flaw in the media framework implementation rather than an isolated incident.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13185 primarily involve applying the security patches released by Google as part of their regular security updates. Organizations and users should immediately install the latest Android security patches that address this vulnerability, as these updates contain fixes for the memory handling issues within the libhevc library. The patch implementations typically involve strengthening bounds checking mechanisms and implementing proper memory validation procedures before processing video content. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing content filtering measures to prevent the processing of untrusted video files, particularly in environments where the vulnerability might be exploited. The remediation process should also include thorough testing of media applications to ensure that the patched implementations properly handle video content without triggering the information disclosure conditions. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in multimedia frameworks and highlights the need for comprehensive memory safety testing in system components that handle user-provided content.