CVE-2017-8164 in Smart Phone
Summary
by MITRE
Some Huawei smart phones with software EVA-L09C34B142; EVA-L09C40B196; EVA-L09C432B210; EVA-L09C440B138; EVA-L09C464B150; EVA-L09C530B127; EVA-L09C55B190; EVA-L09C576B150; EVA-L09C635B221; EVA-L09C636B193; EVA-L09C675B130; EVA-L09C688B143; EVA-L09C703B160; EVA-L09C706B145; EVA-L09GBRC555B171; EVA-L09IRLC368B160; EVA-L19C10B190; EVA-L19C185B220; EVA-L19C20B160; EVA-L19C432B210; EVA-L19C636B190; EVA-L29C20B160; EVA-L29C636B191; EVA-TL00C01B198; VIE-L09C02B131; VIE-L09C109B181; VIE-L09C113B170; VIE-L09C150B170; VIE-L09C25B120; VIE-L09C40B181; VIE-L09C432B181; VIE-L09C55B170; VIE-L09C605B131; VIE-L09ITAC555B130; VIE-L29C10B170; VIE-L29C185B181; VIE-L29C605B131; VIE-L29C636B202 have a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability. An attacker can trick a user to install a malicious application to exploit this vulnerability. Successful exploitation can cause camera application unusable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2023
This vulnerability affects multiple Huawei smartphone models running specific software versions, presenting a significant denial of service threat that impacts core device functionality. The vulnerability resides in the camera application component of these devices, where an attacker can exploit a weakness through a malicious application installation. The affected software versions include various EVA and VIE series models with different build numbers, indicating a widespread issue across multiple device generations and software releases. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines user trust in device reliability and functionality.
The technical flaw manifests as a vulnerability that allows an attacker to manipulate the camera application through social engineering tactics that trick users into installing malicious software. The exploitation mechanism relies on user interaction with malicious applications that can trigger a denial of service condition within the camera subsystem. This vulnerability operates at the application level and demonstrates a weakness in the device's application sandboxing and privilege management systems. The specific nature of the flaw suggests inadequate input validation or improper error handling within the camera application's codebase, creating an entry point for attackers to disrupt normal device operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise user privacy and device security. When successfully exploited, the camera application becomes completely unusable, effectively disabling a core device feature that users rely on for photography, video recording, and security purposes. This vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against specific users or in broader campaigns where attackers distribute malicious applications through various channels. The DoS condition affects not just the camera but could potentially indicate deeper issues with the device's application management and security boundaries, as demonstrated by the specific build numbers and model series affected.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 weakness category related to resource exhaustion and improper input validation, representing a classic denial of service scenario that could be exploited through application-level attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving social engineering and application installation, with potential lateral movement capabilities if the exploitation leads to privilege escalation. Organizations and users should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader threat landscape that includes mobile application security risks and social engineering attacks. The affected devices represent a significant attack surface that could be exploited in targeted campaigns or mass distribution attacks, particularly given the widespread deployment of these Huawei models.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate software updates from Huawei to address the specific vulnerability in affected firmware versions, along with user education about the risks of installing applications from untrusted sources. Device administrators should implement application whitelisting policies and monitor for suspicious application installations on affected devices. Network-level controls can help detect and prevent the distribution of malicious applications that exploit this vulnerability, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for unusual camera application behavior. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other device components and ensure proper patch management across all affected models. The vulnerability underscores the importance of mobile application security and the need for robust security testing of device software before public release.