CVE-2017-5351 in Note
Summary
by MITRE
Samsung Note devices with KK(4.4), L(5.0/5.1), and M(6.0) software allow attackers to crash the system by creating an arbitrarily large number of active VR service threads. The Samsung ID is SVE-2016-7650.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
This vulnerability affects Samsung Galaxy Note devices running Android versions 4.4 KitKat, 5.0 Lollipop, 5.1 Lollipop, and 6.0 Marshmallow operating systems. The flaw resides in the Virtual Reality service implementation within the Android framework, specifically in how the system handles thread management for VR services. Attackers can exploit this weakness by creating an excessive number of active VR service threads, leading to a denial of service condition that ultimately crashes the entire system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate thread resource management within the VR service component. When multiple threads are spawned simultaneously or in rapid succession, the system's thread pool mechanism fails to properly handle the resource exhaustion scenario. This creates a condition where the device's memory management and scheduling algorithms become overwhelmed, resulting in system instability and complete crash. The vulnerability represents a classic resource exhaustion attack pattern that aligns with CWE-400, which specifically addresses unchecked resource consumption vulnerabilities. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and resource allocation practices within the Android framework's VR service implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can be exploited remotely or through malicious applications installed on the device. An attacker with minimal privileges can trigger this condition by simply launching an application that creates numerous VR service threads, potentially causing the device to become completely unresponsive. This type of attack can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where mobile devices are critical for business operations, or in scenarios where device availability is paramount. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Samsung Note devices, making it a significant concern for both individual users and organizations deploying these devices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate software updates from Samsung, which would contain patches addressing the thread management flaws in the VR service implementation. System administrators should also implement application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from creating excessive thread loads. Additionally, monitoring mechanisms should be deployed to detect unusual thread creation patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, as it represents a system-level resource exhaustion attack that can be classified as a denial of service condition. Organizations should also consider implementing device hardening procedures and regular security assessments to identify similar thread management vulnerabilities in other system components.