CVE-2020-0288 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In PackageManager, there is a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure across user boundaries with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11Android ID: A-153995991
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0288 represents a critical permission bypass flaw within Android's PackageManager component that enables unauthorized information disclosure across user boundaries. This issue resides in the core system service responsible for managing applications and their associated permissions, making it a fundamental component of the Android security architecture. The vulnerability stems from a missing permission check that allows malicious applications or processes to access data belonging to other user profiles without requiring any additional privileges or user interaction for exploitation. This flaw directly impacts Android 11 systems and is tracked under Android ID A-153995991, highlighting its significance within the Android security ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the PackageManager service where proper authorization checks are omitted when processing certain requests related to application metadata and user-specific information. Attackers can exploit this weakness by leveraging the absence of mandatory permission verification to retrieve sensitive data from other user profiles, effectively breaking the user isolation mechanisms that are fundamental to Android's multi-user security model. The vulnerability operates at the system level where applications should not be able to access cross-user information without explicit permission, yet the missing check allows such unauthorized data access. This type of flaw falls under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms and represents a classic case of privilege escalation through missing authorization checks.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-0288 extends beyond simple information disclosure as it fundamentally undermines the security boundaries that separate user profiles within Android systems. An attacker with minimal privileges can exploit this vulnerability to access personal data, application configurations, and other user-specific information without requiring any additional execution capabilities or user interaction. This cross-user information disclosure capability enables adversaries to gather comprehensive intelligence about other users on the same device, potentially including sensitive application data, personal communications, and system configurations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where users may share devices or where enterprise devices contain multiple profiles with varying levels of security clearance.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper permission checks within the PackageManager service to ensure that all cross-user data access requests are properly authenticated and authorized. The fix typically involves adding mandatory permission verification before allowing any access to user-specific application metadata or system information that belongs to different user profiles. Organizations should ensure immediate patch deployment for Android 11 devices and monitor for any potential exploitation attempts. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1074 which covers data staging and collection through unauthorized access to system resources, making this vulnerability particularly relevant for threat detection and incident response teams monitoring for privilege escalation activities. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized cross-user data access patterns and consider enhanced logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts.