CVE-2022-39896 in Smart Phone
Summary
by MITRE • 12/08/2022
Improper access control vulnerabilities in Contacts prior to SMR Dec-2022 Release 1 allows to access sensitive information via implicit intent.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-39896 represents a critical access control flaw within the Contacts application component of Android systems prior to the December 2022 Security Model Release. This issue stems from improper handling of implicit intents that are designed to facilitate communication between different applications within the Android ecosystem. The flaw allows malicious applications or compromised components to bypass intended access restrictions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive contact information through unintended pathways within the system's intent mechanism.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and authorization checks performed when processing implicit intents within the Contacts application. When applications attempt to interact with contact data through implicit intents, the system fails to properly verify the requesting application's permissions and authorization level. This weakness creates an attack vector where unauthorized entities can exploit the implicit intent system to access contact records, personal information, and other sensitive data that should be restricted to authorized applications only. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions prior to the December 2022 security patch level, indicating that the issue was prevalent in a significant portion of the Android user base during that time period.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-39896 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in Android's application sandboxing and permission model. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to harvest personal contact information including phone numbers, email addresses, and other identifying details without proper user consent or authorization. This type of information leakage could enable social engineering attacks, identity theft, or facilitate more sophisticated cyber operations. The vulnerability operates at the system level rather than requiring user interaction with malicious code, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically by malware or compromised applications already present on the device.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing insufficient access control mechanisms in Android's intent handling system. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1218.007 (System Binary Proxy Execution) and T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers could potentially use the implicit intent system to manipulate contact data or exfiltrate information. The vulnerability's classification as a privilege escalation issue means that it could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to data that should only be accessible to system applications or applications with specific permissions. Organizations and users should prioritize updating to the December 2022 Security Model Release or equivalent patches to address this vulnerability, as the implicit intent mechanism is fundamental to Android's application communication architecture and its exploitation could lead to widespread data compromise across affected devices.
The remediation approach for CVE-2022-39896 requires implementation of proper intent validation and authorization checks within the Contacts application. System administrators should ensure all devices receive the December 2022 Security Model Release updates or equivalent patches that address the improper access control mechanisms. Additionally, application developers should review their implicit intent usage patterns and implement additional verification steps to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in intent handling can create significant security risks within mobile operating systems.