CVE-2020-0287 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In libmkvextractor, there is a 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-11Android ID: A-141860394
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0287 resides within the libmkvextractor component of Android systems, specifically affecting Android 11 implementations. This issue represents a classic resource exhaustion flaw that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when processing maliciously crafted media files, particularly those using the matroska format, where the extractor fails to perform proper bounds checking on parsed data structures. Such missing validation allows attackers to construct specially formatted files that can trigger excessive resource consumption during the extraction process.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array index values, and more specifically with CWE-400, which covers unspecified resource exhaustion conditions. The flaw operates at the boundary checking level where the system fails to validate the size constraints of incoming data before processing, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate resource allocation through crafted inputs. When the libmkvextractor processes these malformed inputs, it attempts to allocate memory or perform operations without proper size verification, leading to potential system resource depletion.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk for remote denial of service attacks as it requires no elevated privileges for exploitation and can be triggered through user interaction with malicious media files. The attack vector typically involves an attacker sending a specially crafted matroska file to a victim who then processes it through the affected Android system. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can potentially compromise system availability without needing physical access or additional execution privileges, making it particularly concerning for mobile environments where users frequently interact with multimedia content from untrusted sources.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can effectively render affected Android devices unusable for media processing operations. The resource exhaustion can manifest in various forms including memory exhaustion, CPU starvation, or file descriptor depletion, all of which contribute to system instability. This vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers resource exhaustion attacks, and demonstrates how seemingly benign media processing functionality can be weaponized for system compromise. The lack of privilege requirements and the need for only user interaction make this attack vector particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users regularly engage with multimedia content from various sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-0287 should focus on implementing proper bounds checking mechanisms within the libmkvextractor component and ensuring that all input validation occurs before any resource allocation takes place. Android security patches typically address this by introducing additional validation checks and implementing more robust error handling procedures. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize applying the relevant security updates and monitoring for potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should exercise caution when processing media files from untrusted sources and consider implementing additional sandboxing measures for media processing operations to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.