CVE-2019-15424 in BL5000
Summary
by MITRE
The Doogee BL5000 Android device with a build fingerprint of DOOGEE/BL5000/BL5000:7.0/NRD90M/1497072355: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-2019-15424 represents a critical security flaw in the Doogee BL5000 Android device that stems from improper privilege management within a pre-installed factory mode application. This device operates on Android 7.0 with build fingerprint DOOGEE/BL5000/BL5000:7.0/NRD90M/1497072355:user/release-keys and contains a factory mode application with package name com.mediatek.factorymode that has version code 1 and version name 1. The flaw allows for unauthorized modification of wireless settings through what is known as a confused deputy attack pattern, where a legitimate system component is tricked into performing actions on behalf of an untrusted application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a confused deputy attack that occurs when the factory mode application fails to properly validate the identity of the calling application. This weakness creates a privilege escalation path where any application co-located on the device can exploit the factory mode application to modify wireless settings including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular configurations. The vulnerability exists because the system does not enforce proper access controls between the factory mode application and other applications, allowing malicious or compromised applications to invoke the factory mode functionality through the device's legitimate communication channels. This pattern aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically the confusion between legitimate and unauthorized access paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with the ability to modify critical wireless communication settings without proper authorization. An attacker could potentially disable wireless connectivity, redirect network traffic, or establish backdoor access points that persist even after device reboots. The vulnerability affects all applications installed on the device, making it particularly dangerous as it could be exploited by malware, malicious applications, or even compromised legitimate applications that have been granted additional permissions. The wireless settings modification capability could enable man-in-the-middle attacks, network reconnaissance, or complete network isolation of the device, depending on the specific modifications implemented by the exploit.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate security gap and the underlying architectural issues that allow the confused deputy attack to occur. Device manufacturers should implement proper access control mechanisms that validate the calling application identity before allowing factory mode operations to execute. This includes enforcing signature verification, UID validation, and proper permission checking before executing sensitive operations. Security patches should be deployed to restrict the factory mode application's capabilities to only those applications that have proper authorization and are part of the device's legitimate system components. Organizations should also implement application whitelisting policies that prevent unauthorized applications from accessing system-level functionality, and conduct regular security audits to identify similar patterns in other pre-installed applications. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and access control enforcement, which are core principles of the defense in depth strategy recommended by the ATT&CK framework for mobile device security.
The vulnerability represents a clear violation of Android security model principles where system-level operations should only be accessible through proper authentication and authorization mechanisms. The lack of proper privilege validation creates a persistent security risk that cannot be easily mitigated by end-users or even system administrators who may not have direct access to the factory mode functionality. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile environments where devices often contain sensitive personal and corporate data, making the potential for exploitation more severe than in traditional computing environments where such privilege escalation would be more easily detected and prevented.