CVE-2018-9353 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/28/2024
In ihevcd_parse_slice_data of ihevcd_parse_slice.c there is a possible heap buffer out of bound read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to remote denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9353 resides within the ihevcd video decoder component, specifically in the ihevcd_parse_slice_data function located in the ihevcd_parse_slice.c source file. This issue represents a classic heap buffer overflow condition that occurs when the decoder fails to validate input data boundaries before processing video slice information. The flaw manifests as a missing bounds check that allows an attacker to craft malicious video content capable of triggering unauthorized memory access patterns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the video decoding pipeline where slice data is parsed without proper boundary verification. When the decoder processes malformed video frames containing crafted slice data, it attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated heap buffer boundaries. This condition creates a scenario where the application accesses memory that it should not have access to, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read, which is a fundamental memory safety issue that has been consistently identified as a critical threat vector in multimedia processing components.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-9353 extends to remote denial of service conditions where adversaries can exploit this weakness without requiring elevated privileges or additional execution capabilities. The attack requires only user interaction through the delivery of malicious video content, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may encounter untrusted media files. This vulnerability affects systems that utilize the affected ihevcd decoder component, which is commonly found in multimedia frameworks, video players, and streaming applications. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can potentially disrupt services by causing the target application to crash or become unresponsive when processing malicious video content.
The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by leveraging application weaknesses to achieve system disruption. The exploitation process typically involves preparing a specially crafted video file that contains malformed slice data designed to trigger the buffer overflow condition. When the vulnerable application attempts to decode this malicious content, the out-of-bounds read causes the application to crash or behave unpredictably. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in multimedia processing components where large amounts of untrusted data must be processed and interpreted. The security implications extend beyond simple denial of service as such vulnerabilities can potentially be chained with other exploits to achieve more sophisticated attack objectives.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-9353 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and bounds checking within the video decoding pipeline. Software vendors should apply patches that add proper boundary checks to the slice data parsing function, ensuring that all input data is validated against expected ranges before processing. The fix should include memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap metadata validation to prevent exploitation. Additionally, users should maintain updated software versions and avoid processing untrusted video content from unknown sources. System administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and content filtering to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious video files to vulnerable systems. The vulnerability highlights the critical need for robust security practices in multimedia processing components where the complexity of video formats creates numerous potential attack surfaces that require careful input validation and memory management.