CVE-2020-0316 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Telephony, there is a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure of radio data with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11Android ID: A-154934919
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0316 resides within the Telephony module of Android operating systems, specifically affecting Android 11 releases. This issue represents a critical permission enforcement flaw that undermines the security boundaries of the mobile platform. The vulnerability manifests as a missing permission check within the telephony subsystem, creating an avenue for unauthorized data access that bypasses normal security controls. The flaw affects the radio data components that handle cellular communication protocols and related network information processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of access permissions within the telephony service framework. When applications or processes attempt to access radio data through the telephony interface, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting entity possesses the necessary authorization levels. This missing permission verification creates a direct pathway for information disclosure without requiring any privileged execution context or user interaction. The vulnerability operates at a low-level system interface where radio communication parameters, network status information, and cellular data are exposed to unauthorized access vectors.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables local information disclosure of radio data, which could include sensitive cellular communication metadata, signal strength indicators, network identification information, and potentially other radio-related parameters that might reveal network topology or device configuration details. The absence of user interaction requirements makes this particularly concerning as it can be exploited automatically without any manual intervention from the end user. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gather intelligence about cellular networks, device capabilities, or network configurations that could be valuable for further exploitation or reconnaissance activities.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms within software systems. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive radio data components. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 which involves executing malicious code through legitimate system processes, and T1082 which focuses on system information discovery. These mappings highlight how the vulnerability could be leveraged to gather system information and potentially establish more persistent access vectors. The lack of additional execution privileges required for exploitation means that even standard user applications could potentially access this sensitive data, making the attack surface significantly broader than initially apparent.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-0316 should focus on implementing proper permission checking mechanisms within the telephony subsystem. Android security patches typically address such issues by enforcing stricter access controls and validating all requests for radio data access through comprehensive permission verification processes. Organizations should ensure immediate deployment of security updates that include proper permission validation for telephony service interfaces. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for unauthorized applications attempting to access telephony services and implement application whitelisting policies to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining strict access controls within mobile operating system frameworks, particularly in components that handle sensitive communication data and network information.