CVE-2023-21340 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2023
In Telecomm, there is a possible way to get the call state due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-21340 resides within the Telecomm module of a mobile operating system, specifically affecting the handling of call state information. This issue represents a significant security weakness that allows unauthorized access to sensitive telephony data without requiring any special privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability stems from a critical oversight in the permission validation mechanisms that govern access to call state information within the telecommunications framework.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing permission check that should normally validate whether an application has proper authorization to access call state data. This weakness creates an information disclosure vulnerability where malicious applications can potentially retrieve call state information such as active calls, call logs, or other telephony-related data. The absence of proper access controls means that any application running on the device can exploit this gap to obtain sensitive information about ongoing or recent telephone communications. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient permission checks as classified by CWE-284, which specifically addresses inadequate access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as call state information can reveal sensitive patterns about user behavior, communication habits, and potentially confidential conversations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to build detailed profiles of user activities, track communication patterns, and potentially identify sensitive business or personal information. The lack of user interaction requirement makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically without any human intervention, allowing for covert surveillance operations. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers execution through system commands, and T1005 which addresses data from local system.
From a security perspective, this vulnerability represents a serious breach in the principle of least privilege, where applications should only have access to the minimal set of resources necessary for their operation. The flaw allows for privilege escalation in the context of information gathering, where a low-privilege application can access data that should be restricted to system-level components or applications with explicit telephony permissions. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the telecommunications subsystem, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as call interception, social engineering, or targeted surveillance operations. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader threat modeling efforts, particularly in environments where mobile device security is paramount. The remediation approach should focus on implementing proper permission validation mechanisms and ensuring that all access to sensitive telephony data requires explicit authorization from the user or appropriate system-level validation.