CVE-2018-5884 in Snapdragon Mobile
Summary
by MITRE
Improper Access Control in Multimedia in Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear, Non-standard applications without permission may acquire permission of Qualcomm-specific proprietary intents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5884 represents a critical improper access control flaw within the multimedia subsystem of Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable devices. This security weakness resides in the handling of proprietary intents that are specific to Qualcomm's proprietary software implementations. The vulnerability allows non-standard applications to potentially acquire permissions that should be restricted to authorized Qualcomm applications, creating an unauthorized access pathway that could be exploited by malicious actors. The issue affects devices running Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear chipsets, which are widely deployed in smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices across various manufacturers.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and authorization mechanisms within the multimedia framework that processes Qualcomm-specific proprietary intents. These proprietary intents are designed to provide specific functionality and access controls that should only be available to trusted Qualcomm applications or system components. However, the flaw permits unauthorized third-party applications to intercept, manipulate, or gain access to these intents through improper access control checks. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly verify the identity and authorization level of applications attempting to access or broadcast these proprietary intents, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5884 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive multimedia functionalities and data processing capabilities. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to intercept multimedia communications, manipulate media processing workflows, or gain access to device-specific features that should remain restricted. This could lead to data leakage, unauthorized device control, or the ability to execute malicious code within the multimedia processing context. The vulnerability particularly affects the integrity and confidentiality of multimedia operations, as unauthorized applications could potentially access or modify media content, process sensitive information through device-specific multimedia engines, or disrupt normal multimedia operations. This issue aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a significant deviation from the principle of least privilege in mobile security architectures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper intent validation and authorization checks within the multimedia framework. Device manufacturers and security teams should ensure that all Qualcomm-specific proprietary intents are properly validated before execution, with strict enforcement of application identity verification and permission checking. System updates and patches should address the underlying access control mechanisms to prevent unauthorized applications from acquiring privileged intent access. Additionally, implementing runtime monitoring and anomaly detection for intent handling operations can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application sandboxing and enhanced permission models that further restrict access to proprietary system interfaces. The remediation efforts should align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which addresses exploit for privilege escalation, and emphasize the importance of proper access control enforcement in mobile operating system security. This vulnerability highlights the critical need for robust security controls in proprietary system components that are often overlooked in traditional security assessments.