CVE-2020-0170 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In IMY_Event of eas_imelody.c, there is possible resource exhaustion due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to remote denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-127310810
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0170 resides within the IMY_Event function of the eas_imelody.c file, representing a critical resource exhaustion flaw that can be exploited remotely without requiring elevated privileges. This issue manifests through a missing bounds check that allows attackers to manipulate input parameters in ways that can exhaust system resources. The vulnerability specifically affects Android 10 operating systems and is catalogued under Android ID A-127310810, indicating its significance within the mobile platform security landscape.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation of input data within the IMY_Event processing function, where the code fails to verify the boundaries of incoming data structures before processing them. This omission creates a pathway for malicious actors to craft specially formatted inputs that can trigger resource consumption patterns leading to system instability. The lack of bounds checking means that the system processes data beyond its intended limits, potentially causing memory allocation failures, buffer overflows, or other resource management issues that can result in service disruption.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk for remote denial of service attacks where adversaries can exploit the missing bounds check to consume system resources and render services unavailable to legitimate users. The requirement for user interaction suggests that exploitation typically occurs through social engineering tactics where users must open or interact with malicious content, such as specially crafted media files or messages. This attack vector aligns with common mobile security threats that leverage user engagement to deliver malicious payloads, making it particularly concerning for widespread impact.
The security implications extend beyond simple service disruption as this vulnerability can be leveraged to create persistent availability issues within the affected Android system. Attackers can repeatedly exploit the resource exhaustion condition to maintain denial of service states, potentially affecting system responsiveness and user experience. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 129 indicates it relates to insufficient bounds checking, a well-documented weakness that frequently appears in software systems where input validation is inadequate. This flaw can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust bounds checking mechanisms within the IMY_Event function and related processing code to validate input parameters before resource allocation occurs. System updates and patches should address the missing validation checks to prevent exploitation, while security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing input sanitization measures and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive input validation in preventing resource exhaustion attacks and highlights the need for continuous security testing of mobile platform components to identify and remediate similar flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.