CVE-2020-28345 in LG
Summary
by MITRE • 11/08/2020
An issue was discovered on LG mobile devices with Android OS 10 software. The Wi-Fi subsystem may crash because of the lack of a NULL parameter check. The LG ID is LVE-SMP-200025 (November 2020).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-28345 represents a critical flaw within the Wi-Fi subsystem of LG mobile devices running Android 10 operating system. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the wireless networking component, specifically failing to perform proper NULL parameter checks before processing incoming data packets. The vulnerability was officially recognized and documented by LG under their internal tracking system with the identifier LVE-SMP-200025, with the disclosure occurring in November 2020. The flaw exists at the intersection of mobile device firmware and Android's network management services, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt normal device operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the absence of proper parameter validation within the Wi-Fi driver implementation. When the subsystem receives certain malformed or unexpected network packets, it fails to validate whether incoming parameters are NULL before attempting to process them. This lack of defensive programming practices creates a classic null pointer dereference scenario that can lead to system instability. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL Pointer Dereference conditions in software implementations. The flaw manifests when the Wi-Fi stack attempts to access memory locations through NULL pointers, resulting in an immediate system crash or reboot of the affected device. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of robustness and fault tolerance that are essential for mobile operating systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-28345 extends beyond simple device disruption, potentially affecting user productivity and device reliability across affected LG smartphone models. When triggered, the Wi-Fi subsystem crash can result in complete network connectivity loss, forcing users to manually restart their devices to restore wireless functionality. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where mobile devices are critical for business operations, as it could lead to unexpected downtime and communication failures. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal prerequisites, making it accessible to attackers with basic network knowledge. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain under the T1059.007 technique for command and control communications, or potentially as a privilege escalation vector when combined with other vulnerabilities. The crash behavior also makes this susceptible to denial of service attacks that could be amplified through network-based exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-28345 primarily focus on software updates and firmware patches provided by LG and Google. Device users should immediately install available security updates from their respective manufacturers to address the null pointer dereference issue. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and comprehensive input validation within mobile operating system components. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues within the mobile device ecosystem. The remediation process involves updating the Android Wi-Fi framework components with proper NULL checking mechanisms and implementing comprehensive testing procedures to validate parameter validation before processing network data.