CVE-2018-7931 in AppGallery
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei AppGallery versions before 8.0.4.301 has a whitelist mechanism bypass vulnerability. An attacker may set up a malicious network environment and trick user into accessing a malicious web page to bypass the whitelist mechanism.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7931 affects Huawei AppGallery client applications running versions prior to 8.0.4.301, representing a significant security flaw in the mobile application distribution platform's access control mechanisms. This weakness manifests through a whitelist bypass vulnerability that undermines the intended security boundaries designed to protect users from malicious applications. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of network requests and improper handling of trusted domain lists within the AppGallery client software, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit to circumvent established security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a sophisticated manipulation of the client-side validation process that governs which network resources the AppGallery application can access. When users interact with the AppGallery interface, the client performs checks against a predefined whitelist of trusted domains to prevent access to potentially harmful resources. However, the flaw allows attackers to construct malicious network environments that can deceive the client's validation logic, effectively bypassing these security controls without requiring elevated privileges or direct system compromise. This bypass mechanism operates through manipulation of network protocols and domain resolution processes that the client uses to verify resource legitimacy.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control bypass, creating a comprehensive attack vector that can lead to various malicious activities within the user's mobile environment. Attackers can craft deceptive web pages that appear legitimate to the AppGallery client while actually redirecting users to malicious resources that would normally be blocked by the whitelist mechanism. This capability enables sophisticated phishing campaigns, malicious application distribution, and potential data exfiltration scenarios where users are unknowingly directed to harmful resources that can compromise their device security. The vulnerability particularly affects users who frequently download applications through the AppGallery platform, as the attack requires only a single user interaction to potentially compromise the device.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically addressing improper access control mechanisms within mobile client applications. The flaw also corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents a client-side attack vector that exploits a vulnerability in a publicly accessible mobile application platform. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the bypassed access to execute malicious commands or scripts through the compromised AppGallery client interface. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the deployment of Huawei AppGallery version 8.0.4.301 or later, which includes updated validation logic and enhanced whitelist enforcement mechanisms. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring of AppGallery client network traffic to detect potential exploitation attempts, while security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of mobile application usage patterns and implement user education programs to recognize potential phishing attempts targeting the AppGallery platform.