CVE-2022-20104 in MT6580
Summary
by MITRE • 05/04/2022
In aee daemon, there is a possible information disclosure due to improper access control. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS06419017; Issue ID: ALPS06284104.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2022
The aee daemon represents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2022-20104 that demonstrates improper access control mechanisms within the Android system's error reporting framework. This vulnerability exists within the Android Error Reporting Engine daemon which is responsible for collecting and managing system crash reports and error information. The flaw manifests when the daemon fails to properly validate access permissions for sensitive system data, allowing unauthorized local processes to extract confidential information from the system. This represents a significant weakening of the system's security model as it bypasses standard access control checks that should normally prevent such information disclosure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate permission validation within the daemon's processing routines. When the aee daemon handles incoming requests for system error data, it does not sufficiently verify whether the requesting process possesses the appropriate privileges to access the requested information. This flaw falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically representing improper access control where the system fails to enforce proper authorization checks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no user interaction or additional execution privileges to exploit, making it highly accessible to any local process on the system. The attack vector is purely local and leverages the daemon's insufficient validation of process credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it provides attackers with access to potentially sensitive system data that could be used for further exploitation. Local processes can extract system error logs, crash reports, and potentially other confidential information that might reveal system configuration details, application behavior patterns, or even security-relevant data. This information disclosure could enable adversaries to perform more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation attempts, system reconnaissance, or targeted exploitation of other vulnerabilities. The lack of user interaction requirements means that exploitation can occur automatically without requiring any manual intervention, significantly increasing the attack surface and potential impact.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-20104 should focus on implementing proper access control validation within the aee daemon's processing logic. The recommended approach involves strengthening the permission checking mechanisms to ensure that only authorized processes can access sensitive system error data. This includes implementing proper credential validation, enforcing least privilege principles, and ensuring that all data access requests are properly authenticated. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor patch identified by patch ID ALPS06419017 and issue ID ALPS06284104 which specifically addresses this access control flaw. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any other similar access control vulnerabilities within the Android system framework. The remediation process should also include monitoring for unauthorized access attempts and implementing process isolation mechanisms to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.004 which involves the use of system information discovery to gather data that could be used for privilege escalation or further system compromise.