CVE-2022-20253 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2022
In Bluetooth, there is a possible cleanup failure due to an uncaught exception. This could lead to remote denial of service in Bluetooth with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-224545125
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2022
This vulnerability resides within the Bluetooth subsystem of Android 13 operating on devices with Android ID A-224545125. The core issue manifests as a cleanup failure that occurs when an uncaught exception is thrown during Bluetooth operations. The flaw specifically impacts the Bluetooth service's ability to properly terminate or clean up resources when encountering exceptional conditions during normal operation. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-440 Application Verification of Expected Behavior, as the system fails to properly handle exceptional conditions that should be gracefully managed during routine Bluetooth interactions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in exception handling mechanisms within the Bluetooth service daemon. When an unhandled exception occurs during Bluetooth protocol processing or connection management, the cleanup routines that should execute to release system resources and maintain service stability fail to complete properly. This creates a state where the Bluetooth service remains in an inconsistent condition, potentially leaving system resources allocated or connection states improperly managed. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 Network Denial of Service, as exploitation can result in complete service disruption without requiring any special privileges or user interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends to remote denial of service scenarios where an attacker can potentially trigger the uncaught exception through Bluetooth packet manipulation or connection establishment attempts. Since no additional execution privileges are required for exploitation, the vulnerability represents a significant risk to device availability and user experience. The lack of user interaction requirements makes this particularly concerning as it can be exploited automatically without any user involvement, potentially leading to widespread service disruption across affected Android 13 devices. This type of vulnerability can be leveraged by malicious actors to create persistent denial of service conditions that may require device reboot to resolve, effectively rendering Bluetooth functionality unusable until system restart occurs.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive exception handling within the Bluetooth service code to ensure proper cleanup routines execute regardless of exceptional conditions. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize applying security patches that address the specific exception handling flaw in the Bluetooth subsystem. The recommended approach involves strengthening the Bluetooth service daemon's error recovery mechanisms to prevent uncaught exceptions from causing service instability. Additionally, implementing robust logging and monitoring capabilities can help detect exploitation attempts and provide early warning of potential service disruption events. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper resource management and exception handling in system services, particularly those that operate continuously and handle network communications, as failures in these components can significantly impact overall device functionality and user experience.