CVE-2019-20580 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with P(9.0) software. The Motion photo player allows attackers to bypass the Secure Folder feature to view images. The Samsung ID is SVE-2019-14653 (August 2019).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2020
This vulnerability exists within Samsung's Secure Folder implementation on devices running Android Pie version 9.0 and later. The issue stems from a flaw in the Motion photo player component that fails to properly enforce security boundaries between the regular device environment and the isolated Secure Folder. The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit a privilege escalation path through the motion photo player functionality, effectively bypassing the intended security isolation mechanisms that protect sensitive data within the Secure Folder.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient access control mechanism within the motion photo player module. When users attempt to view motion photos stored in the Secure Folder, the application does not properly validate the security context or enforce proper access controls that would normally prevent unauthorized access to protected content. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical flaw in Samsung's implementation of container-based security controls. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-284 Access Control Bypass, which specifically addresses insufficient access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized access to protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for Samsung device users who rely on the Secure Folder for protecting sensitive personal and professional data. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to images and potentially other media stored within the Secure Folder, undermining the fundamental security promise of the feature. The vulnerability affects all Samsung devices running Android 9.0 and later versions, creating a widespread risk across multiple device models and generations. This represents a serious breach of the confidentiality assurances that users expect from their device's security features, particularly in enterprise environments where such data protection is critical.
The attack vector for this vulnerability involves leveraging the motion photo player functionality to access files that should normally be restricted to the Secure Folder environment. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it involves exploiting legitimate system components to gain unauthorized access. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering or by installing malicious applications that trigger the vulnerable motion photo player component. The lack of proper input validation and access control checks in the motion photo player creates an attack surface that can be leveraged by threat actors to escalate privileges and access protected content.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate installation of Samsung's security patches and firmware updates that address the specific access control bypass in the motion photo player component. Organizations should implement additional monitoring of motion photo player usage patterns and file access attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts. Users should be educated about the security implications of installing third-party applications that may interact with system components, and should be encouraged to maintain current security updates. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing for containerized applications and the need for robust access control implementations in mobile operating systems. Security teams should also consider implementing device-level monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns that may indicate exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other system components.