CVE-2022-48314 in EMUI
Summary
by MITRE • 04/16/2023
The Bluetooth module has a vulnerability of bypassing the user confirmation in the pairing process. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-48314 resides within Bluetooth module implementations where the pairing process can be circumvented without proper user confirmation. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental authentication mechanisms designed to protect wireless communications. The issue manifests when the system fails to enforce mandatory user interaction during pairing operations, allowing unauthorized parties to establish connections without explicit consent from the device owner. This weakness directly impacts the integrity of the Bluetooth security model and creates potential entry points for malicious actors seeking to infiltrate protected networks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of the pairing confirmation step within the Bluetooth protocol stack. When devices attempt to pair, the system should require explicit user acknowledgment before establishing a trusted connection. However, in affected implementations, the authentication flow can be bypassed through manipulated protocol sequences or timing attacks that skip the confirmation dialog. This flaw typically occurs in the lower-level Bluetooth stack components where pairing state transitions are managed without adequate verification of user intent. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-305 authentication bypass weaknesses and represents a failure in implementing proper access control mechanisms during secure communication establishment.
From an operational standpoint, successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to significant confidentiality breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive data. An attacker who successfully bypasses the pairing confirmation can establish connections to Bluetooth-enabled devices and potentially intercept or modify communications between paired devices. This creates opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks, data exfiltration, and unauthorized device control. The impact extends beyond individual devices to encompass entire wireless networks where Bluetooth is used as a communication protocol, potentially allowing attackers to pivot into larger network infrastructures. The vulnerability affects various Bluetooth profiles and can be exploited across different device types including smartphones, laptops, IoT devices, and automotive systems.
Security mitigations for CVE-2022-48314 should focus on implementing robust user confirmation mechanisms and strengthening the pairing protocol validation process. Device manufacturers must ensure that all Bluetooth implementations enforce mandatory user interaction during pairing operations and validate that confirmation dialogs are properly displayed and processed. System updates should include enhanced protocol validation routines that prevent bypass attempts and maintain proper state management during pairing sequences. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring to detect anomalous pairing behaviors and establish policies that require regular Bluetooth security assessments. The mitigation strategies should align with ATT&CK framework techniques related to credential access and defense evasion, particularly focusing on preventing unauthorized device pairing and maintaining secure communication channels. Organizations should also consider implementing Bluetooth security frameworks such as those defined in the ISO/IEC 23001-4 standard to ensure proper implementation of secure pairing mechanisms and prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future deployments.