CVE-2017-13288 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In writeToParcel and readFromParcel of PeriodicAdvertisingReport.java, there is a permission bypass due to a 64/32bit int mismatch. This could lead to a local escalation of privilege where the user can start an activity with system privileges, with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android. Versions: 8.0, 8.1. Android ID: A-69634768.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-13288 represents a critical permission bypass flaw within Android's Bluetooth subsystem that stems from a fundamental integer type mismatch in the periodic advertising report functionality. This issue exists in the PeriodicAdvertisingReport.java file where the writeToParcel and readFromParcel methods handle data serialization and deserialization operations. The core technical flaw manifests when 64-bit integers are processed in 32-bit contexts, creating a scenario where privilege checks can be circumvented through careful manipulation of data structures. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions 8.0 and 8.1, making it particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of these system versions at the time of discovery.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise through unauthorized activity execution with elevated privileges. An attacker exploiting this flaw can initiate activities that would normally require system-level permissions, effectively bypassing the standard Android security model that typically restricts such operations to system components or applications with appropriate signatures. This permission bypass occurs entirely within the Android framework without requiring any user interaction or additional execution privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of how integer overflow or type conversion issues in system-level components can create security gateways that allow unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow and arithmetic errors, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' through system-level vulnerabilities. The flaw represents a type of privilege escalation that leverages the Android Binder IPC mechanism, where the mismatch between 64-bit and 32-bit integer handling allows malicious code to manipulate parcelable data structures in ways that bypass security checks. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require user interaction, making it particularly concerning for automated attacks and potentially enabling malware to silently escalate privileges during normal system operation. The Android ID A-69634768 indicates this was tracked as a significant security issue within Google's internal vulnerability tracking system, emphasizing the severity of the flaw.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate system updates and architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. Android security patches addressing this vulnerability typically involve correcting the integer type handling in the parcelable methods to ensure consistent 64-bit integer processing throughout the serialization and deserialization operations. System administrators should prioritize applying the relevant security updates immediately, as the vulnerability can be exploited without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automatic updates are not implemented. Additionally, developers should implement comprehensive input validation and type checking mechanisms when working with parcelable data structures, particularly when dealing with integer values that may be processed across different bit-width contexts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of thorough integer handling validation in system-level components where privilege escalation risks are present, and it underscores the necessity of robust security testing methodologies that specifically target data serialization and deserialization operations.