CVE-2020-14103 in 10 MIUI
Summary
by MITRE • 04/09/2021
The application in the mobile phone can read the SNO information of the device, Xiaomi 10 MIUI < 2020.01.15.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14103 represents a significant security flaw in Xiaomi 10 devices running MIUI versions prior to 2020.01.15, where the mobile application can access sensitive SNO (Serial Number Object) information of the device. This represents a critical privacy and security concern as it allows unauthorized access to device-unique identifiers that should remain protected within the device's secure enclave. The SNO information typically contains hardware-specific identifiers that can be used for device tracking, authentication purposes, or malicious activities such as device fingerprinting and potential cloning operations. This vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure, where sensitive device metadata is exposed through improper access controls within the application layer. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper access restrictions and privilege separation, allowing applications to bypass normal security boundaries that should protect device-specific identifiers from unauthorized reading.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate permission controls and access validation mechanisms within the MIUI operating system framework. Mobile applications that should not have access to low-level hardware identifiers are able to read SNO information through potential API misconfigurations or insufficient sandboxing measures. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates weak application security controls that allow unauthorized information disclosure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because SNO information can be used for tracking devices across different applications and services, potentially enabling persistent surveillance or targeted attacks. From a cybersecurity perspective, this issue aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-250 (Execute Code from Untrusted Source) categories, as it exposes sensitive information that could lead to further exploitation. The vulnerability also corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1082 (System Information Discovery) and T1063 (Security Software Discovery) as attackers could leverage this information to build comprehensive device profiles and identify potential attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to encompass potential security breaches and device compromise scenarios. Attackers could utilize the exposed SNO information to track users across different platforms and applications, create persistent device fingerprints, or correlate this information with other data sources to enhance targeting capabilities. The vulnerability also poses risks to device authentication systems that might rely on SNO information for verification processes, potentially enabling bypass attacks or credential theft scenarios. Organizations using Xiaomi 10 devices with affected MIUI versions face increased risk of targeted attacks, particularly in environments where device security is paramount. The vulnerability affects the overall security posture of the device by weakening the isolation between applications and system-level information, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised environments. This represents a fundamental weakness in the device's security architecture that undermines user trust and device integrity. The risk is compounded by the fact that this vulnerability affects a specific device model and software version, making it a targeted attack vector for threat actors who can identify and exploit users with these specific configurations. Mitigation requires immediate patching of affected MIUI versions and implementation of proper access controls to prevent unauthorized applications from reading sensitive device identifiers.
The remediation approach for CVE-2020-14103 involves applying the official MIUI security updates released by Xiaomi that address the improper access controls allowing SNO information reading. Users should immediately update their devices to MIUI version 2020.01.15 or later, which includes proper access control mechanisms and privilege validation for device-specific identifiers. System administrators should conduct inventory checks to identify affected devices and ensure all Xiaomi 10 devices in their environment are updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper application sandboxing practices in mobile operating systems. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to device identifiers and establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should consider conducting vulnerability assessments to identify other potential information disclosure issues within mobile applications and ensure proper implementation of access controls and privilege separation mechanisms. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for comprehensive mobile security testing and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security configurations to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive device information.