CVE-2018-14401 in AXML Parser
Summary
by MITRE
CopyData in AxmlParser.c in AXML Parser through 2018-01-04 has an out-of-bounds read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14401 resides within the AXML Parser library, specifically in the CopyData function located in AxmlParser.c. This parser is commonly used for processing Android binary XML files and represents a critical security flaw that affects versions released through January 4, 2018. The issue manifests as an out-of-bounds read condition that can be exploited by malicious actors to potentially access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries.
The technical flaw occurs when the CopyData function processes input data without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to manipulate the parsing logic to read memory regions that should remain inaccessible. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations. The vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in input validation and memory management within the parser's data handling routines, where the function fails to verify that data being copied fits within allocated memory boundaries before performing the copy operation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for Android applications and systems that rely on AXML Parser for processing binary XML content. An attacker could potentially exploit this flaw by crafting malicious XML files that, when processed by the vulnerable parser, would trigger the out-of-bounds read condition. This could lead to information disclosure, application crashes, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the specific implementation and memory layout. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it operates at the parsing layer, meaning it could affect numerous applications and services that depend on proper XML processing functionality.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and potentially T1203 for "Exploitation for Client Execution" when considering the broader attack surface. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the AXML Parser library, implementing input validation measures, and conducting thorough security assessments of systems that utilize this parsing functionality. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper bounds checking in memory operations and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in parsing libraries can create significant security risks across entire application ecosystems.