CVE-2017-8183 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 any memory access vulnerability. An attacker tricks a user into installing a malicious application on the smart phone, and send given parameter to cause to any memory access vulnerabilities, leading to sensitive information leakage.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8183 affects Huawei smartphones running on the MTK platform with specific software versions prior to Nice-AL00C00B160 and Nice-AL10C00B140. This represents a critical memory access flaw that resides within the mobile platform's firmware or operating system components. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize parameters passed to memory access functions. Such flaws typically occur when the system does not adequately verify the legitimacy of data structures or memory addresses before attempting to access them, creating opportunities for unauthorized memory operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where a program accesses memory beyond the boundaries of a valid buffer. The flaw manifests when malicious applications exploit improper parameter handling to manipulate memory access patterns, potentially allowing attackers to read sensitive data from unauthorized memory regions. This type of vulnerability can be classified as a memory corruption issue that enables information disclosure through arbitrary memory reads, making it particularly dangerous for mobile environments where user data and system credentials are stored.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8183 extends beyond simple information leakage to encompass potential system compromise and data exfiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by tricking users into installing malicious applications that exploit the memory access flaw to extract sensitive information from the device's memory. The attack vector relies on social engineering to gain initial access through application installation, after which the malicious code can execute arbitrary memory reads to obtain credentials, personal data, or system configuration details. This vulnerability creates a pathway for persistent threats that can operate without user knowledge while accessing protected memory segments.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in mobile operating systems. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where applications should not be able to access memory regions beyond their designated boundaries. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust parameter validation mechanisms, enforcing memory access controls, and applying timely security patches to affected devices. Organizations should also consider implementing mobile device management solutions that can detect and prevent installation of malicious applications, while security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems. The vulnerability underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of mobile platform components, particularly those handling user input and memory operations, to prevent similar issues from emerging in future releases.