CVE-2022-20079 in MT6781
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
In vow, there is a possible read of uninitialized data due to a improper input validation. This could lead to local information disclosure with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is no needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS05837742; Issue ID: ALPS05857289.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-20079 resides within the vow component of a system, representing a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized information disclosure through improper input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability manifests as a read of uninitialized data, a common class of software defect that occurs when programs access memory locations that have not been properly initialized with valid data values. The flaw specifically affects systems where the vow module processes user or system inputs without adequate validation checks, creating opportunities for malicious actors to extract sensitive information from memory regions that contain residual data from previous operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation procedures within the vow component, which fails to properly sanitize or verify the integrity of data before processing. When the system encounters malformed or unexpected input, the validation mechanisms do not adequately handle these edge cases, allowing uninitialized memory contents to be read and potentially exposed. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-457, which categorizes the use of uninitialized variables as a significant security risk. The vulnerability requires system execution privileges for exploitation, indicating that an attacker must already possess elevated access rights to leverage this flaw effectively, though the impact remains severe once achieved.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk for local information disclosure attacks, where adversaries can potentially extract sensitive data from system memory. The fact that no user interaction is required for exploitation means that the vulnerability can be leveraged automatically, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged processes are running continuously. The patch identified as ALPS05837742 specifically addresses this issue by implementing proper input validation and memory initialization procedures. The associated issue ID ALPS05857289 likely represents the internal tracking mechanism for this particular vulnerability within the system's development lifecycle.
The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to the disclosure of sensitive system information, potentially including cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, or other confidential data stored in uninitialized memory regions. Attackers could use this information to escalate privileges, bypass security controls, or conduct further targeted attacks against the system or its users. The attack vector falls under the MITRE ATT&CK framework category of "T1005 - Data from Local System," which describes techniques for collecting data from local system components. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability through the provided ALPS05837742 update, as the combination of system execution privileges requirement and automatic exploitation potential makes this flaw particularly dangerous in compromised environments where attackers may have already gained elevated access rights.