CVE-2018-21067 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with M(6.0) software. There is an information disclosure in a Trustlet because an address is logged. The Samsung ID is SVE-2018-11600 (July 2018).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-21067 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Samsung's Trustlet implementation on devices running Android Marshmallow version 6.0. This security weakness stems from improper handling of sensitive memory addresses within the Trustlet component, which is a security-critical element responsible for managing trusted execution environments on mobile platforms. The vulnerability was officially acknowledged by Samsung under their internal security tracking system with the identifier SVE-2018-11600 and was documented in July 2018, highlighting the company's recognition of the potential risks associated with this flaw.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure, and more precisely aligns with CWE-427, indicating improper handling of address information within security-sensitive contexts. The flaw manifests when the Trustlet component logs memory addresses without proper sanitization or access control measures, potentially exposing sensitive system information to unauthorized parties. This type of information disclosure can occur through various logging mechanisms or debugging interfaces that are not properly secured, allowing attackers to gain insights into the device's memory layout and potentially exploit this knowledge for further attacks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for affected Samsung devices running Android 6.0, as it provides attackers with valuable information that could be leveraged to bypass security controls or perform advanced exploitation techniques. The information disclosure could potentially reveal memory addresses that are crucial for bypassing memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization, which is a fundamental security feature designed to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities. This weakness particularly affects the trust model established by Samsung's secure execution environment, undermining the integrity of the device's security architecture.
The implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple information exposure, as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks that target the Trustlet's security boundaries. Attackers could potentially use the disclosed address information to craft targeted exploits that manipulate the Trustlet's execution flow or access sensitive cryptographic keys and data stored within the secure environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output sanitization in security-sensitive components, particularly those that interact with memory management systems. Organizations should prioritize patching affected devices and implementing additional monitoring measures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation efforts should focus on ensuring that all logging mechanisms within security components properly sanitize sensitive information and that memory addresses are not exposed through unauthorized access channels. This vulnerability also underscores the necessity of comprehensive security testing for all components within mobile operating systems, particularly those that handle cryptographic operations or manage trusted execution environments.