CVE-2020-7811 in Update
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2020
Samsung Update 3.0.2.0 ~ 3.0.32.0 has a vulnerability that allows privilege escalation as commands crafted by attacker are executed while the engine deserializes the data received during inter-process communication
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7811 affects Samsung Update service versions 3.0.2.0 through 3.0.32.0, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that leverages insecure deserialization during inter-process communication. This vulnerability resides within the Samsung Update engine's handling of data received through IPC mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges. The flaw stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of serialized data structures, allowing attackers to craft specially crafted payloads that exploit the deserialization process to gain unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic insecure deserialization pattern where the update engine receives serialized data through IPC channels without proper input validation or sanitization checks. When the engine processes this data, it deserializes the malicious payload without adequate security controls, enabling attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the update service. This represents a CWE-502 vulnerability classification, specifically addressing deserialization of untrusted data, which is a well-documented weakness in software systems where objects are reconstructed from serialized representations without proper security measures. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between components within the Samsung Update service architecture, allowing privilege escalation from standard user context to system-level privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and security of the Samsung Update service. Attackers can leverage this flaw to install malicious software, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors within the affected devices. The vulnerability affects multiple Samsung devices running the vulnerable update service versions, creating a widespread security risk across various hardware platforms. The privilege escalation aspect means that successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive user data, modify system files, or manipulate the device's core functionality. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1059 which addresses 'Command and Scripting Interpreter' as attackers can execute commands through the vulnerable deserialization process.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-7811 require immediate patching of affected Samsung Update service versions to the latest secure releases provided by Samsung. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to update services and monitor for suspicious IPC communications that may indicate exploitation attempts. The security community recommends disabling unnecessary update services when not actively required and implementing strict input validation controls for all serialized data processing within the update engine. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other components that might be vulnerable to similar deserialization attacks, as this class of vulnerability often appears in interconnected systems. Regular security updates and maintaining awareness of the latest Samsung security patches are essential for preventing exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.