CVE-2017-13199 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Bitmap.ccp if Bitmap.nativeCreate fails an out of memory exception is not thrown leading to a java.io.IOException later on. This could lead to a remote denial of service of a critical system process with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android. Versions: 8.0, 8.1. Android ID: A-33846679.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-13199 represents a critical flaw in Android's bitmap processing functionality that can be exploited to achieve remote denial of service without requiring any additional privileges or user interaction. This issue resides within the Bitmap.ccp component of the Android operating system and specifically affects versions 8.0 and 8.1. The vulnerability stems from improper exception handling during bitmap creation operations, creating a scenario where memory allocation failures are not properly communicated to the calling application through standard Java exception mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the failure to throw an appropriate out of memory exception when the Bitmap.nativeCreate function encounters allocation problems. According to CWE-472, this represents an external control structure manipulation vulnerability where the system fails to properly validate or handle exceptional conditions during resource allocation. When Bitmap.nativeCreate fails due to insufficient memory, the system should throw a java.io.IOException to properly signal the failure to the application layer, but instead allows execution to continue with invalid state handling. This improper error propagation creates a condition where subsequent operations attempt to process malformed or incomplete bitmap data, leading to cascading failures in the system's processing pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe as it can be exploited to remotely crash critical system processes without requiring any special privileges or user interaction. Attackers can craft malicious bitmap data that will trigger the memory allocation failure, causing the system to enter an inconsistent state where the java.io.IOException is eventually thrown during normal processing operations. This allows for remote denial of service attacks against Android devices, potentially affecting core system functionality and rendering devices unusable. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 indicates it can be used for network denial of service, while its ability to target critical system processes aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application execution flaws that can compromise system stability.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper exception handling in memory management operations, particularly in mobile operating systems where resource constraints are common. The Android ID A-33846679 indicates this was properly tracked and addressed by Google's security team, highlighting the critical nature of the issue. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches, monitoring for abnormal system behavior, and considering network-level restrictions on bitmap data processing. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of how seemingly minor exception handling failures can create significant security implications in mobile platforms, where the combination of limited resources and complex processing pipelines can amplify the impact of such flaws.