CVE-2018-2482 in Mobile Secure Android Application
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Mobile Secure Android Application, Mobile-secure.apk Android client, before version 6.60.19942.0, allows an attacker to prevent legitimate users from accessing a service, either by crashing or flooding the service. Install the Mobile Secure Android client released in Mid-Oct 2018.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2482 affects SAP Mobile Secure Android Application, specifically targeting the mobile-secure.apk client component. This security flaw exists in versions prior to 6.60.19942.0 and represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt legitimate user access to critical services. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the Android client application that processes network communications and service requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through carefully crafted inputs or network conditions that trigger unexpected application states. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause the application to crash or become unresponsive, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the secured services. This type of attack falls under the category of application-level denial of service where the attacker leverages weaknesses in the client-side implementation rather than targeting network infrastructure directly.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on SAP Mobile Secure for mobile device management and security enforcement. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise the integrity of mobile security policies and potentially expose sensitive corporate data to unauthorized access. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad by making security services inaccessible to legitimate users, which can lead to broader operational disruptions when mobile workers cannot access necessary corporate resources or security enforcement mechanisms.
The exploitability of this vulnerability is relatively straightforward for attackers with basic knowledge of mobile application behavior and network protocols. The attack vector typically involves sending malformed packets or triggering specific application states that cause the Android client to enter an unstable condition. This weakness aligns with CWE-400, which addresses improper handling of resource exhaustion conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations may observe the application becoming unresponsive or requiring manual restart to restore normal functionality, indicating the presence of this vulnerability.
Security mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to the affected Mobile Secure Android client versions, ensuring all devices running the vulnerable software are updated to version 6.60.19942.0 or later. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual application behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while also implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms within the application itself. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such attacks, and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing mobile application denial of service scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date mobile security clients and implementing comprehensive mobile device management policies to protect against exploitation of such service disruption vulnerabilities.