CVE-2023-21382 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2023
In Content Resolver, there is a possible method to access metadata about existing content providers on the device 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-2023-21382 resides within the Content Resolver component of Android systems, representing a significant security gap that enables unauthorized metadata disclosure. This flaw stems from an insufficient permission validation mechanism that allows malicious applications to enumerate content providers present on the device without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the Android operating system's content resolution framework, which serves as a fundamental interface for applications to access and share data across different components. The missing permission check creates an information disclosure vector that operates at the system level, bypassing normal access controls that should restrict metadata visibility to authorized entities only. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can be categorized under CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms in software applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the Android ContentResolver class, which provides access to content providers managed by the Android system. When an application attempts to query content provider metadata, the system should verify that the requesting application possesses appropriate permissions before returning this information. However, in the affected implementations, this verification step is absent or improperly enforced, allowing any application to retrieve information about installed content providers, their schemas, and potentially sensitive metadata. The flaw operates without requiring user interaction or additional execution privileges, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited silently in the background. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which describes the discovery of system information through enumeration techniques that do not require user involvement.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-21382 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the metadata obtained through this vulnerability can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers can use the discovered content provider information to identify potential targets for further exploitation, map application dependencies, and understand the underlying data structures within the Android system. The disclosed metadata may reveal sensitive information about installed applications, their data access patterns, and potential attack surfaces that could be leveraged for privilege escalation or data exfiltration. Since no additional execution privileges are required for exploitation, even applications with minimal permissions can gather this information, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple applications operate with varying permission levels. The lack of user interaction requirement also means that automated exploitation tools can systematically enumerate content providers without detection, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited continuously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-21382 should focus on implementing proper permission validation within the ContentResolver component and ensuring that all metadata queries undergo appropriate access control checks. System administrators and developers should ensure that all Android devices are updated with the latest security patches provided by Google, as this vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases. The recommended approach involves strengthening the permission model to enforce stricter access controls for content provider metadata queries, implementing proper sandboxing mechanisms, and regularly auditing application permissions to prevent unauthorized access. Organizations should also consider deploying mobile device management solutions that can monitor for suspicious content provider access patterns and implement network-level controls to restrict access to potentially sensitive metadata. Additionally, developers should follow secure coding practices that emphasize proper input validation and access control enforcement, particularly when working with system-level APIs that handle content resolution and provider metadata. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining robust access control mechanisms throughout the Android framework and demonstrates the critical need for comprehensive security testing of system-level components that handle inter-application communication.