CVE-2019-15422 in Mix
Summary
by MITRE
The Doogee Mix Android device with a build fingerprint of DOOGEE/MIX/MIX:7.0/NRD90M/1495809471:user/release-keys contains a pre-installed app with a package name of com.mediatek.factorymode app (versionCode=1, versionName=1) that allows unauthorized wireless settings modification via a confused deputy attack. This capability can be accessed by any app co-located on the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15422 represents a critical security flaw in the Doogee Mix Android device that stems from improper privilege management within a pre-installed factory mode application. This issue manifests through a confused deputy attack vector that exploits the trust relationship between system components and malicious applications. The affected application com.mediatek.factorymode with version code 1 and version name 1 operates with elevated privileges that should be restricted to legitimate system operations but instead grants unauthorized access to wireless configuration modifications. The vulnerability occurs because the factory mode application fails to properly validate the calling application's identity, allowing any co-located application to impersonate a trusted component and execute privileged operations.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves a classic confused deputy problem where the factory mode application incorrectly assumes that any application calling its wireless configuration methods is authorized to perform such modifications. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface where malicious applications can leverage the legitimate application's permissions to alter network settings without proper authentication or authorization checks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level where wireless configuration changes can affect network connectivity, data transmission, and overall device security posture. The build fingerprint DOOGEE/MIX/MIX:7.0/NRD90M/1495809471 indicates this affects a specific Android 7.0 based device model that was released with insufficient security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized configuration changes and can enable sophisticated attack scenarios including man-in-the-middle attacks, network traffic interception, and potential data exfiltration. An attacker with access to the device can modify wireless settings to redirect traffic through malicious servers, disable security features, or create persistent backdoors for future access. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-284 which describes improper access control and CWE-345 which covers insufficient verification of data authenticity. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which involves executing malicious code through application compromise, and T1046 which covers network service scanning that can be facilitated by wireless configuration changes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper privilege validation and access control mechanisms within system applications. Device manufacturers should ensure that factory mode applications verify the calling application's identity through proper signature verification or permission checking before executing privileged operations. The Android security model should enforce stricter isolation between system applications and user-installed applications, particularly those with elevated privileges. Security updates should be deployed immediately to patch the vulnerable factory mode application and ensure that wireless configuration modifications require explicit user consent and proper authentication. Organizations should also implement device monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized wireless configuration changes and alert security teams to potential compromise. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing during the development lifecycle and demonstrates how pre-installed applications can become attack vectors when not properly secured against confused deputy scenarios.