CVE-2021-25413 in Smart Phone
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2021
Improper sanitization of incoming intent in Samsung Contacts prior to SMR JUN-2021 Release 1 allows local attackers to get permissions to access arbitrary data with Samsung Contacts privilege.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-25413 represents a critical security flaw in Samsung Contacts application prior to the SMR JUN-2021 Release 1. This issue stems from improper sanitization of incoming intent parameters, creating a pathway for local attackers to exploit the application's privilege model. The vulnerability specifically affects the Android-based Samsung devices and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in how the Contacts application handles inter-process communication through Android intents. The flaw allows attackers with local access to manipulate intent data in a manner that bypasses normal permission controls, effectively granting them unauthorized access to sensitive contact data and potentially other system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Contacts application failing to properly validate or sanitize intent extras that are passed to it from other applications or system components. When an intent is received by the Contacts application, the system should verify that the incoming data does not contain malicious parameters that could alter the application's behavior or access controls. However, in this case, the sanitization process is inadequate, allowing crafted intent data to be processed without proper validation. This improper handling creates a privilege escalation vector where local attackers can manipulate the application's execution flow to access data that should normally be restricted. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to properly implement input validation controls, which is classified under CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in security design.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to user privacy and data security across Samsung devices. The local attack vector means that any application or malicious code running on the same device can potentially exploit this flaw to access contact information, personal data, and other sensitive information stored within the Contacts application. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to harvest personal contact details, potentially enabling social engineering attacks, identity theft, or further escalation to other system components. The impact extends beyond simple data access, as the privilege escalation capability could allow attackers to access other applications' data or system resources that are protected by the Contacts application's permission model. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where Samsung devices are commonly used and where contact data may contain sensitive business information.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-25413 primarily focus on updating to the patched SMR JUN-2021 Release 1 or later versions where Samsung has implemented proper intent sanitization controls. Security administrators should prioritize applying these updates across all affected Samsung devices within their network to eliminate the exploitation risk. Additionally, implementing network monitoring and endpoint detection capabilities can help identify potential exploitation attempts through unusual intent processing patterns. Organizations should also consider reducing the attack surface by limiting the number of applications with local access privileges and implementing application whitelisting where possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation in mobile application security and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where attackers exploit application flaws to gain elevated privileges. System administrators should also review and audit existing security policies to ensure that local privilege escalation vulnerabilities are properly addressed in their security frameworks, particularly in environments where Samsung Contacts is used for sensitive data management.