CVE-2023-29751 in Navigator
Summary
by MITRE • 06/10/2023
An issue found in Yandex Navigator v.6.60 for Android allows unauthorized apps to cause a persistent denial of service by manipulating the SharedPreference files.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-29751 represents a critical security flaw in Yandex Navigator version 6.60 for Android platforms. This issue stems from inadequate protection mechanisms within the application's handling of SharedPreference files, which are commonly used for storing application state and user preferences. The flaw allows malicious or unauthorized applications to manipulate these preference files in ways that can lead to sustained service disruption. The vulnerability specifically targets the Android operating system's preference management system, where applications typically store configuration data and user settings. When an unauthorized application gains access to manipulate these shared preference files, it can effectively compromise the normal operation of the targeted application, creating a persistent denial of service condition that undermines the application's availability and functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper access controls and validation mechanisms within Yandex Navigator's preference handling code. SharedPreference files in Android applications are designed to be accessible only to the application that created them, but this vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient sandboxing or inadequate permission checks can allow other applications to access and modify these critical configuration files. The flaw operates at the application-level persistence mechanism, where modifications to shared preferences can alter application behavior, disable features, or cause the application to crash repeatedly. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient validation or sanitization of input data, which is classified as CWE-20 by the Common Weakness Enumeration standards. The weakness manifests when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the data stored in shared preferences, allowing external manipulation that can lead to unpredictable application behavior and service disruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-29751 extends beyond simple application instability to create persistent service degradation that can affect user productivity and safety in navigation contexts. When an unauthorized application can manipulate Yandex Navigator's SharedPreference files, it can cause the application to malfunction continuously, preventing users from accessing critical navigation services. This denial of service condition can be particularly dangerous for users who rely on the application for real-time navigation during travel or emergency situations. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that even after the initial manipulation occurs, the affected application may continue to exhibit problematic behavior until the malicious preference modifications are manually removed or the application is uninstalled and reinstalled. The attack vector for this vulnerability typically involves other applications that have been granted appropriate permissions or through privilege escalation techniques that allow them to access the target application's shared preferences.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper access controls and data validation mechanisms within the application's preference management system. Developers should ensure that SharedPreference files are properly secured through Android's built-in permission systems and that applications validate all data read from shared preferences before processing it. The implementation of proper input sanitization and access control checks would prevent unauthorized applications from manipulating critical preference data. Additionally, application developers should consider implementing integrity checks for shared preference files to detect and respond to unauthorized modifications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers "Evasion: File and Directory Permissions Modification" and represents a specific instance of how improper file access controls can lead to persistent denial of service conditions. Organizations should also implement regular security audits of their Android applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in shared preference handling and other configuration management systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and proper application sandboxing to prevent unauthorized access to critical application data structures.