CVE-2022-20076 in MT6580
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
In ged, there is a possible memory corruption due to an incorrect error handling. This could lead to local information disclosure with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS05838808; Issue ID: ALPS05839556.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-20076 affects the ged component within a system architecture, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that stems from inadequate error handling mechanisms. This issue manifests when the system processes certain data inputs that trigger unexpected memory states, creating conditions where memory corruption can occur during normal operation. The vulnerability resides in the memory management subsystem of the ged process, which is responsible for handling specific data processing tasks that require careful memory allocation and deallocation procedures. When error conditions are not properly managed during these operations, the system can enter an inconsistent state where memory addresses become corrupted or overwritten, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in memory.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires system execution privileges, indicating that an attacker must already have elevated access to the target system to leverage this flaw effectively. This prerequisite significantly reduces the attack surface compared to vulnerabilities requiring user interaction, as it eliminates the need for social engineering or other initial access vectors. The memory corruption occurs during error handling routines where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize memory operations when encountering exceptional conditions. This improper handling creates opportunities for information disclosure where sensitive data that should remain protected may become accessible through the corrupted memory regions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the integrity of memory management functions within the ged process, where error conditions are not adequately isolated from normal operational flows, allowing corruption to propagate through the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-20076 extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially compromise the overall security posture of systems running affected software versions. When memory corruption occurs, it can lead to unpredictable behavior including system crashes, data leakage, or even potential privilege escalation scenarios depending on the specific memory locations affected. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions that can result in memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability provides a pathway for attackers to extract sensitive information that may include system credentials, configuration data, or other confidential information stored in memory. The lack of user interaction requirements makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it can be exploited automatically without the need for additional attack vectors or social engineering tactics.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2022-20076 involves applying the patch identifier ALPS05838808 which addresses the specific error handling mechanisms within the ged component. This patch corrects the memory management routines to properly validate error conditions and prevent memory corruption during exceptional circumstances. Organizations should prioritize patch deployment across all affected systems and verify that the patch has been successfully applied through configuration management tools and system auditing processes. Additional protective measures include implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap metadata validation to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's alignment with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 suggests that exploitation may involve command execution through compromised memory regions, making it essential for security teams to monitor system logs for unusual process behavior or memory access patterns. Regular security assessments should be conducted to ensure that similar error handling flaws do not exist in other components of the system architecture, as this vulnerability demonstrates how inadequate error management can create significant security risks.