CVE-2020-0175 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In XMF_ReadNode of eas_xmf.c, there is possible resource exhaustion due to improper input validation. 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-126380818
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0175 resides within the XMF_ReadNode function in the eas_xmf.c file, representing a critical resource exhaustion issue that affects Android 10 systems. This flaw demonstrates a classic example of inadequate input validation where the system fails to properly sanitize or verify incoming data structures before processing them. The vulnerability specifically targets the Extensible Markup Format parsing functionality, which is commonly used for handling multimedia content and structured data within Android applications. The improper validation allows maliciously crafted input to consume excessive system resources during processing, potentially leading to system instability or complete service unavailability. This issue falls under the CWE-770 category of insufficient resource management, where the system fails to adequately control resource consumption during processing of untrusted input data. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires no additional execution privileges for exploitation, meaning that an attacker can potentially trigger the denial of service condition through normal user interaction without requiring elevated system permissions or root access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader system reliability concerns within Android environments. When exploited, the resource exhaustion condition can cause the affected application or system component to consume all available memory or processing power, resulting in application crashes or complete system freeze. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can potentially trigger this condition through network-based attacks or by delivering malicious content through various communication channels. This vulnerability particularly affects multimedia processing components that rely on XMF parsing, which could include media players, document viewers, or any application that handles structured data formats. The Android ID A-126380818 indicates this was specifically tracked within Google's internal vulnerability management system, highlighting its significance in the Android ecosystem. The requirement for user interaction suggests that exploitation typically occurs when a user opens or processes a maliciously crafted file, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with external content or receive files from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-0175 should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms and resource consumption monitoring within the affected parsing components. System administrators and developers should prioritize updating to patched versions of Android 10 where available, as Google would have addressed this vulnerability through security updates. The implementation of strict input length limits, memory allocation controls, and timeout mechanisms can help prevent the exploitation of this resource exhaustion condition. Additionally, network-level filtering and content inspection systems should be configured to identify and block potentially malicious XMF or related multimedia content before it reaches end-user devices. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual resource consumption patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, leveraging behavioral analysis tools to identify anomalous processing behavior. Organizations should also implement application sandboxing and privilege separation techniques to limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, ensuring that a successful attack on one component does not compromise the entire system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks, where adversaries leverage system resource limitations to cause denial of service conditions. This case study emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive input validation and resource management in multimedia processing components, particularly those handling structured data formats that are commonly used in mobile environments.