CVE-2017-8182 in MTK
Summary
by MITRE
MTK platform in Huawei smart phones with software of earlier than Nice-AL00C00B160 versions, earlier than Nice-AL10C00B140 versions has a out-of-bound read vulnerability. An attacker tricks a user into installing a malicious application on the smart phone, and send given parameter and cause to memory out-of-bound read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8182 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the MTK platform implementation on Huawei smartphones. This security weakness specifically affects devices running software versions prior to Nice-AL00C00B160 and Nice-AL10C00B140, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit through social engineering tactics. The vulnerability resides in the platform's memory management mechanisms where improper input validation allows malicious applications to manipulate memory access patterns beyond allocated boundaries. The flaw operates by tricking users into installing crafted malware that can trigger the out-of-bounds read condition through carefully constructed parameter inputs, potentially exposing sensitive system information or enabling further exploitation.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations. The technical execution of this flaw demonstrates how mobile platform components can be manipulated to access memory locations outside their intended boundaries, creating opportunities for information disclosure and potential privilege escalation. The MTK platform's handling of user-supplied parameters in this context fails to implement proper bounds checking mechanisms, allowing attackers to craft malicious inputs that cause the system to read memory contents that should remain inaccessible. The attack vector requires user interaction through application installation, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages the trust users place in legitimate applications while exploiting the underlying platform's memory safety mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8182 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the out-of-bounds read condition can potentially expose kernel memory contents, system configuration data, or sensitive user information stored in adjacent memory regions. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gather intelligence about the device's operating system version, memory layout, and potentially identify other exploitable weaknesses within the platform. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script interpreter usage, as malicious applications can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges within the compromised device. Additionally, the vulnerability contributes to broader attack chains that may include privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or the establishment of persistent backdoors through subsequent exploitation steps.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate software updates to patch the MTK platform implementation and ensure proper bounds checking mechanisms are in place. Organizations should implement application whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications that could exploit this weakness. Network-based detection measures should monitor for suspicious application behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to scan for known malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability. The fix should include comprehensive input validation routines that verify all parameter boundaries before memory access operations, implementing proper buffer overflow protection mechanisms, and ensuring that memory access patterns adhere to defined security boundaries. Regular security assessments of mobile platform components should be conducted to identify similar out-of-bounds conditions that may exist in other system components, as this vulnerability represents a broader class of memory safety issues that require systematic remediation across all platform layers.