CVE-2019-20599 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with N(7.x), O(8.x), and P(9.0) software. Voice Assistant mishandles the notification audibility of a secured app. The Samsung ID is SVE-2018-13326 (May 2019).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20599 represents a critical security flaw in Samsung mobile devices running Android versions 7.x, 8.x, and 9.0. This issue specifically affects the Voice Assistant functionality and demonstrates a significant failure in how the system handles notification audibility for secured applications. The vulnerability was internally tracked by Samsung under the identifier SVE-2018-13326 and was publicly disclosed in May 2019, highlighting a fundamental weakness in the device's security architecture that could potentially compromise user privacy and data protection.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of notification audibility within the Samsung Voice Assistant component. When a secured application is running, the system fails to properly manage how notifications from that application are audible to users, creating a potential information disclosure scenario. This mismanagement occurs at the system level where the Voice Assistant component does not adequately enforce the security boundaries that should prevent unauthorized audibility of notifications from protected applications. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and processing of notification permissions and security contexts within the voice assistant framework, allowing for potential exposure of sensitive information through audio notifications that should remain restricted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple notification management and represents a significant threat to user privacy and device security. Attackers could potentially exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to information that would normally be protected by application security mechanisms. The vulnerability creates a pathway where sensitive notifications from secured applications might be audible to unauthorized users or malicious applications, potentially exposing personal data, authentication information, or other confidential details. This issue particularly affects users of Samsung devices who rely on voice assistant functionality for daily operations, as the compromised security could lead to information leakage during voice interactions or notification processing.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and potentially CWE-215, which deals with "Information Exposure Through Debug Information." The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and information gathering through system-level vulnerabilities. Organizations and users should prioritize updating their Samsung devices to versions that address this vulnerability, as the security implications extend beyond simple notification handling to encompass broader privacy and data protection concerns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and security boundary enforcement in mobile operating systems, particularly within voice assistant and notification management components that serve as critical interfaces between users and their applications.