CVE-2017-13296 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A information disclosure vulnerability in the Android media framework (libavc). Product: Android. Versions: 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, 8.1. Android ID: A-70897454.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13296 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Android media framework, specifically affecting the libavc component responsible for handling video encoding and decoding operations. This issue resides in the Android operating system's multimedia subsystem and impacts multiple versions including Android 6.0 through 8.1, making it a widespread concern across the Android ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain media data structures during video processing, creating potential pathways for unauthorized information exposure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and sanitization of input data within the media framework's video processing pipeline. When the system processes certain malformed or crafted video content, the libavc library fails to properly validate the boundaries of memory allocations, leading to potential information leakage from adjacent memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and specifically relates to improper handling of memory boundaries during data processing operations. The flaw manifests when the media framework attempts to decode video streams that contain specially crafted data structures, causing the system to expose sensitive information from memory locations that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could potentially enable attackers to extract sensitive data such as cryptographic keys, application memory contents, or other confidential information from the device's memory space. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious video files or manipulating media streams to trigger the information disclosure condition. This represents a significant security risk particularly in environments where Android devices handle sensitive data or operate in security-critical applications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" as it provides a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks that could escalate privileges or extract additional sensitive information from the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13296 primarily involve applying the relevant security patches and updates released by Google as part of their regular Android security updates. Organizations and users should ensure their Android devices are updated to versions that contain the patched libavc implementation, which addresses the memory boundary validation issues. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual media processing activities and consider network-based intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, device manufacturers should conduct thorough security testing of media processing components and implement proper input validation mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in mobile operating systems and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of multimedia frameworks that handle untrusted input data from various sources.