CVE-2019-9831 in AirMore
Summary
by MITRE
The AirMore application through 1.6.1 for Android allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system hang) via many simultaneous /?Key=PhoneRequestAuthorization requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2024
The AirMore application version 1.6.1 for Android contains a critical denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system functionality. This vulnerability manifests through the processing of multiple simultaneous requests to the /?Key=PhoneRequestAuthorization endpoint, which causes the application to consume excessive system resources and eventually hang the entire system. The flaw represents a classic resource exhaustion attack vector that can be triggered without any authentication or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application runs continuously or is exposed to untrusted networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and request handling within the AirMore application's web server component. When numerous concurrent requests are sent to the specific endpoint, the application fails to properly manage request queues or implement rate limiting mechanisms. This results in a condition where the system becomes overwhelmed by processing these requests simultaneously, leading to a cascade of resource contention issues that ultimately causes the device to become unresponsive. The vulnerability is classified as a resource exhaustion flaw that aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-400, which describes improper resource management leading to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system unresponsiveness to potentially compromise user productivity and device reliability. In mobile environments where AirMore is used for file transfers, device management, or remote control functions, a successful attack could render the device unusable until manual restart occurs. This is particularly concerning for enterprise environments where mobile devices may be used for critical business operations or for users who rely on their devices for communication. The vulnerability can be exploited from any network location, making it accessible to attackers who may be geographically distant from the target device, and it requires no specialized knowledge to execute effectively.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper request rate limiting and resource management within the application's web server component. Network administrators should consider deploying firewall rules or intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block excessive requests to the vulnerable endpoint. The application developers should implement proper input validation, request queuing mechanisms, and resource allocation controls to prevent the system from becoming overwhelmed. Additionally, users should be advised to keep their applications updated and to avoid exposing the application to untrusted networks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing robust security controls at all levels of application architecture, particularly in mobile applications that handle network requests from external sources. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that rate limiting and resource management mechanisms function correctly without impacting legitimate user operations, following established security practices outlined in standards such as those referenced by the ATT&CK framework for mobile application security.