CVE-2018-9437 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In getstring of ID3.cpp there is a possible out-of-bounds 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. Product: Android Versions: Android-6.0 Android-6.0.1 Android-7.0 Android-7.1.1 Android-7.1.2 Android-8.0 Android-8.1 Android ID: A-78656554.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9437 resides within the ID3.cpp file of Android's media processing framework, specifically in the getstring function implementation. This flaw represents a classic out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the application fails to validate array indices before accessing memory locations. The issue manifests when processing ID3 metadata within audio files, particularly affecting the handling of string data structures that are commonly found in mp3 files. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an insufficient bounds check, which directly enables unauthorized memory access patterns that can compromise system stability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a remote attacker to craft a malicious audio file containing malformed ID3 metadata that triggers the out-of-bounds read condition during normal media processing operations. No elevated privileges are required for exploitation since the flaw exists within the standard media processing pipeline that operates with normal user permissions. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions from 6.0 through 8.1, indicating a widespread impact across multiple platform releases. The attack vector requires user interaction through the simple act of opening or playing the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where users might encounter such files through email attachments, file sharing, or web downloads.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can lead to remote denial of service conditions where affected Android devices become unresponsive or crash when processing the malicious audio files. The system stability implications extend beyond simple application crashes to potentially affecting the entire media framework and related services. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) demonstrates how attackers can leverage media processing components to achieve system compromise. The lack of privilege escalation requirements makes this particularly concerning for mobile environments where users frequently interact with multimedia content from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-9437 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and bounds checking within the media processing libraries. Android security patches released in subsequent updates address this issue by adding proper boundary validation to the getstring function and related ID3 parsing components. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the relevant security updates from Google's Android security bulletins. Additional protective measures include implementing strict file format validation for media content, deploying mobile device management solutions that can block suspicious file types, and establishing user education programs to avoid opening untrusted media files. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation in multimedia processing libraries and serves as a reminder of the critical security considerations when handling user-supplied data in mobile operating systems.