CVE-2018-7957 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei smartphones with software Victoria-AL00 8.0.0.336a(C00) have an information leakage vulnerability. Because an interface does not verify authorization correctly, attackers can exploit an application with the authorization of phone state to obtain user location additionally.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7957 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw in Huawei smartphones running software version Victoria-AL00 8.0.0.336a(C00). This issue stems from improper validation of application permissions within the device's operating system framework, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access. The flaw specifically affects the phone state permission interface, which should normally restrict access to sensitive user information but fails to adequately verify authorization credentials.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of improper authorization, where an application or system component does not properly validate that a user or process has the necessary permissions to access specific resources. The technical implementation error occurs at the permission verification layer where the system accepts phone state authorization without performing additional checks required for location data access. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of privilege escalation through inadequate access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to exploit legitimate phone state permissions to gain unauthorized access to user location data. This represents a serious privacy violation where malicious actors can obtain sensitive geolocation information without proper user consent or explicit permission. The attack vector involves an application that has already been granted phone state authorization, which then leverages this privilege to access location services that should require separate authorization. This creates a dangerous precedent where users unknowingly grant broad access rights through seemingly benign permissions.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachment, as attackers could potentially use this information leakage to craft more targeted social engineering campaigns. The flaw also relates to T1003.002 for credentials from password storage modules, as unauthorized access to location data could be combined with other information to create comprehensive user profiles. Organizations should consider this vulnerability when assessing their mobile device security posture and implementing zero trust principles.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates from Huawei to address the authorization verification flaw, along with enhanced monitoring of application permissions and user behavior. System administrators should implement strict permission policies and regularly audit application access rights to prevent unauthorized data collection. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and authorization checking in mobile operating systems, as well as the need for comprehensive security testing of permission interfaces before deployment. Users should be educated about the risks of granting broad permissions and the importance of keeping devices updated with security patches to prevent exploitation of such authorization bypass vulnerabilities.