CVE-2018-7938 in P10
Summary
by MITRE
P10 Huawei smartphones with the versions before Victoria-AL00AC00B217 have an information leak vulnerability due to the lack of permission validation. An attacker tricks a user into installing a malicious application on the smart phone, and the application can read some hardware serial number, which may cause sensitive information leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7938 affects Huawei P10 smartphones running firmware versions prior to Victoria-AL00AC00B217, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms within the device's operating system. This weakness allows malicious applications to access sensitive hardware serial numbers without proper authorization, creating a significant security risk for users who may unknowingly install compromised software. The vulnerability specifically targets the permission model implementation on Android-based Huawei devices, where the system fails to adequately enforce access controls for hardware identification information that should be restricted to authorized system components only.
The technical flaw manifests through a lack of proper input validation and access control enforcement within the smartphone's firmware architecture, particularly in how the operating system handles requests for hardware serial numbers. This vulnerability operates at the system level where legitimate applications can bypass normal security boundaries to access device-specific identifiers that are typically protected from unauthorized access. The issue is classified under CWE-284 as an improper access control vulnerability, where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions for sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious applications that leverage the insufficient permission validation to extract hardware serial numbers, which can then be used for device tracking, user identification, or as part of broader reconnaissance activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as hardware serial numbers can serve as unique identifiers that link specific devices to individual users, potentially enabling tracking, profiling, or targeted attacks. The risk is particularly significant for users who may inadvertently install applications from untrusted sources, as the vulnerability does not require elevated privileges or root access to exploit. This makes the attack surface broader and more accessible to threat actors who can use social engineering techniques to trick users into installing malicious applications. The vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1082 for system information discovery, as it enables attackers to gather device-specific information that can be used for further exploitation or reconnaissance.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate firmware updates from Huawei to address the permission validation flaw, implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications, and conducting regular security audits of mobile device management systems. Organizations should also consider deploying mobile threat defense solutions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting such information disclosure vulnerabilities. Users must be educated about the risks of installing applications from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping their devices updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in mobile operating systems and demonstrates how insufficient permission validation can create persistent security risks that affect device integrity and user privacy.