CVE-2020-0363 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In libmedia, there is a 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-11Android ID: A-132274514
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-0363 resides within the libmedia library component of Android systems, specifically affecting Android 11 deployments. This issue represents a resource exhaustion flaw that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the media processing framework. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly validate media file inputs, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the insufficient sanitization routines.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of media data structures that are processed through the libmedia library. When malformed or specially crafted media inputs are presented to the system, the validation routines fail to adequately restrict resource consumption patterns. This allows attackers to potentially consume excessive system resources such as memory, CPU cycles, or file descriptors through carefully constructed media files. The flaw operates at the boundary between user-supplied media content and the system's internal processing mechanisms, where input validation should occur but does not.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk for remote denial of service attacks without requiring any privileged execution capabilities. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed remotely, potentially allowing adversaries to disrupt media processing services on affected devices. The requirement for user interaction suggests that exploitation typically occurs when users open or process media files, making it particularly relevant for mobile environments where users frequently interact with multimedia content. This vulnerability could be leveraged in scenarios involving malicious email attachments, web downloads, or other vectors where users might encounter crafted media files.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion flaws as a critical security concern. The ATT&CK framework would classify this under the T1499.004 technique for "Network Denial of Service" where adversaries leverage system resource exhaustion to disrupt services. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue means that successful exploitation could render affected systems unable to process legitimate media content, potentially causing complete service disruption for media applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-0363 should focus on implementing robust input validation routines within the libmedia library. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize applying the relevant Android security patches that address this specific validation gap. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures that limit resource consumption during media processing can help prevent exploitation. Network-level filtering to restrict potentially malicious media content could serve as an additional defensive layer, though the primary mitigation remains the software-level fix. Regular security assessments of media processing components should be conducted to identify similar validation weaknesses that could lead to resource exhaustion attacks.