CVE-2021-46786 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 05/13/2022
The audio module has a vulnerability in verifying the parameters passed by the application space.Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause out-of-bounds memory access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-46786 resides within the audio module of a system, specifically targeting the parameter validation mechanisms that govern interactions between application space and kernel-level audio processing components. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the audio subsystem's input sanitization processes. The vulnerability manifests when the audio module fails to properly verify or validate parameters received from application space, creating potential pathways for malicious input manipulation that could compromise system stability and security.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient parameter validation within the audio module's processing pipeline. When applications transmit audio-related parameters to the kernel-level audio subsystem, the module should perform comprehensive validation checks to ensure parameter values fall within expected ranges and meet defined constraints. However, the current implementation lacks adequate verification mechanisms, allowing malformed or out-of-bounds parameters to proceed unchecked into memory operations. This weakness directly maps to CWE-129, which addresses insufficient validation of length of input buffers, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The absence of proper bounds checking and parameter sanitization creates opportunities for attackers to craft malicious input that could trigger memory access violations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, potentially enabling more sophisticated attack vectors that could compromise system integrity and availability. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized memory access patterns that might allow attackers to read sensitive data from kernel memory spaces, write arbitrary data to critical system locations, or even trigger privilege escalation scenarios. The out-of-bounds memory access condition creates instability that could manifest as system crashes, unexpected behavior, or more sinisterly as opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code within the kernel context. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where audio processing is heavily utilized and where applications might be granted elevated privileges or direct access to audio hardware interfaces.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. Immediate remediation involves applying vendor-provided patches that enhance parameter validation within the audio module, ensuring that all input parameters undergo comprehensive verification before processing. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict which applications can access audio subsystems, thereby reducing the attack surface. Additionally, monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous audio parameter patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1547, covering process injection techniques, as attackers might leverage this weakness to gain elevated system privileges or inject malicious code into audio processing contexts. Organizations should also conduct thorough code reviews of audio-related modules to identify similar parameter validation gaps and implement robust input sanitization frameworks that prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases.