CVE-2018-9536 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In numerous functions of libFDK, there are possible out of bounds writes due to incorrect bounds checks. This could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Product: Android. Versions: Android-9. Android ID: A-112662184
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9536 resides within the libFDK library, a critical component of Android's multimedia framework responsible for audio decoding and processing. This flaw represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability that manifests through improper bounds checking mechanisms in multiple functions. The issue specifically affects Android 9.0 and is tracked under Android ID A-112662184, indicating its significance within the Android security ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from the library's failure to properly validate input data boundaries when processing audio frames, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout through crafted malicious audio content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves out-of-bounds write operations that occur when the libFDK library processes audio data without adequate validation of buffer sizes or input parameters. When an attacker crafts specially formatted audio files or streams, the library's parsing functions fail to verify that data will fit within allocated memory buffers, leading to memory corruption. This type of flaw falls under CWE-787: "Out-of-bounds Write" which is classified as a critical severity issue in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability's exploitation requires user interaction, typically through the playback of malicious audio content, making it particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users frequently engage with multimedia content.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-9536 extends beyond simple data corruption, as it enables remote code execution without requiring elevated privileges or additional attack vectors. This means that an attacker could potentially compromise an Android device simply by tricking a user into playing malicious audio content, such as through email attachments, messaging apps, or malicious websites. The vulnerability's presence in libFDK makes it particularly concerning because this library is integral to the Android multimedia subsystem, affecting audio playback across numerous applications and system services. The attack surface is broad, encompassing all applications that utilize the affected library for audio processing, including media players, voice assistants, and communication applications that rely on audio decoding capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected Android systems, as the Android Security Team released updates addressing this specific issue in their quarterly security bulletin. Organizations should implement network-level controls to block suspicious audio content and deploy mobile device management solutions that can enforce security policies and prevent execution of untrusted media files. From a defensive standpoint, developers should consider implementing additional input validation checks and boundary verification mechanisms when integrating multimedia libraries into their applications. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) highlights the need for comprehensive monitoring of system calls and process execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, security researchers recommend implementing heap-based memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts.