CVE-2019-20547 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with O(8.x) and P(9.0) software. Data may leak via a Bluetooth debug command. The Samsung ID is SVE-2019-15398 (November 2019).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2020
This vulnerability affects Samsung mobile devices running Android 8.x and 9.0 operating system versions, specifically exposing a critical data leakage risk through Bluetooth debug commands. The issue stems from insufficient access controls and validation mechanisms within the Bluetooth debugging interface, allowing unauthorized data exposure through specially crafted debug commands. The vulnerability was identified and tracked by Samsung under their internal security tracking system as SVE-2019-15398, highlighting the severity of the exposure in their security assessment protocols.
The technical flaw manifests in the Bluetooth debug interface implementation where specific commands can be executed without proper authentication or authorization checks. This allows an attacker to potentially extract sensitive device information, including but not limited to device identifiers, configuration data, and potentially user-related information through the Bluetooth communication channel. The vulnerability represents a clear violation of secure coding principles and demonstrates inadequate input validation within the Bluetooth stack. This flaw falls under the CWE category of insufficient access control and potentially weak cryptographic key management, as the debug interface should have required proper authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it could enable attackers to gather intelligence for further exploitation or establish persistent access to affected devices. Mobile devices running these vulnerable software versions become susceptible to reconnaissance activities where attackers can map device configurations and identify potential attack vectors. The exposure through Bluetooth communication channels particularly concerns security practitioners as it allows for remote exploitation without requiring physical access to the device, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments and personal device security. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter usage.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates from Samsung to address the Bluetooth debug command implementation flaws. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual Bluetooth activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Device administrators should disable Bluetooth debugging features when not actively required for development or testing purposes. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure development practices and comprehensive security testing of system interfaces, particularly those that provide administrative access or debug capabilities. Regular security assessments of mobile device management policies should include verification of Bluetooth debug interface configurations and access controls to prevent unauthorized exploitation.