CVE-2019-9415 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In libstagefright there is a possible information disclosure due to uninitialized data. This could lead to remote information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-111805098
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9415 resides within the libstagefright media framework component of Android operating systems, specifically affecting Android 10 and earlier versions. This flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that stems from the improper handling of uninitialized data structures within the multimedia processing pipeline. The affected component processes various media formats including video and audio files, making it a prime target for exploitation in scenarios involving malicious media content. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly initialize memory regions before processing media data, potentially exposing sensitive information from adjacent memory locations to unauthorized parties.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the stagefright framework's handling of media file parsing and decoding operations. When processing certain malformed or crafted media files, the libstagefright component does not adequately initialize memory buffers before utilizing them, creating opportunities for attackers to extract information from uninitialized memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable, which is classified as a fundamental weakness in software design that can lead to information disclosure, data corruption, or potentially more severe exploitation vectors. The uninitialized data may contain remnants of previous operations, system information, cryptographic keys, or other sensitive data that was previously stored in the same memory locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can be exploited remotely without requiring elevated privileges or special execution capabilities. However, successful exploitation requires user interaction, typically through the delivery of malicious media content via email attachments, web downloads, or other social engineering techniques. The attack vector leverages the automatic media processing capabilities of Android devices, where simply opening or previewing a maliciously crafted media file can trigger the vulnerability. This makes the exploit particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with multimedia content from untrusted sources, as the attack can occur without the user's awareness or explicit consent.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, though more specifically relates to T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1190: Exploitation of Remote Services. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in security-sensitive components and highlights how seemingly minor implementation flaws in system libraries can result in significant security implications. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Android devices and implement network-level protections such as media content filtering and sandboxing measures to mitigate potential exploitation. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of comprehensive security testing for multimedia frameworks and proper initialization of all memory structures, particularly in components that process untrusted input data from external sources.