CVE-2018-3572 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
While processing a DSP buffer in an audio driver's event handler, an index of a buffer is not checked before accessing the buffer in all Android releases from CAF (Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, QRD Android) using the Linux Kernel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2020
This vulnerability exists in the Android operating system's audio driver implementation where improper bounds checking occurs during DSP buffer processing within event handlers. The flaw resides in the Linux kernel components that manage audio processing for devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, affecting multiple Android variants including CAF Android, Firefox OS for MSM, and QRD Android. The vulnerability stems from a missing validation check on buffer indices before memory access operations, creating a potential for out-of-bounds memory access conditions that could lead to system instability or arbitrary code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the audio driver's event handler routine that processes digital signal processing buffers without verifying that the buffer index remains within valid bounds. When an audio event occurs, the system attempts to access a memory buffer using an index value that has not been validated against the buffer's actual size or allocated boundaries. This condition creates a classic buffer overflow scenario where malicious actors could potentially manipulate the index value to access memory locations outside the intended buffer boundaries, leading to unpredictable behavior.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security implications for devices running affected Android versions. The attack surface includes any audio processing functionality that relies on the vulnerable driver components, particularly when handling malicious audio data or triggering specific audio events that could be exploited. The impact extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially enable privilege escalation or code execution within the audio processing context, as described in the CWE-129 vulnerability classification for improper validation of array indices. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to system resources or disrupt normal audio functionality.
The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through kernel exploits and defense evasion by potentially corrupting system memory structures. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying security patches from device manufacturers, enabling kernel address space layout randomization where available, and monitoring for unusual audio processing behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider restricting audio input capabilities on affected devices until proper patches are deployed, as outlined in standard security hardening practices for kernel-level vulnerabilities. The affected systems require comprehensive monitoring for memory access violations and buffer overflow patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.