CVE-2023-30642 in Smart Phone
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2023
Improper privilege management vulnerability in Galaxy Themes Service prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to call privilege function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-30642 represents a critical improper privilege management flaw within the Galaxy Themes Service component of Samsung mobile devices. This weakness exists in versions prior to the July 2023 Security Maintenance Release 1, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by local adversaries. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and privilege validation mechanisms within the themes service implementation, allowing unauthorized local processes to invoke privileged functions that should only be accessible to system-level components or authorized applications.
The technical nature of this flaw involves a breakdown in the Android permission model and privilege separation mechanisms. When the Galaxy Themes Service executes certain operations, it fails to properly validate the calling process's privileges before executing sensitive functions. This misconfiguration enables local attackers who have already gained execution privileges on the device to escalate their capabilities and invoke functions that typically require higher-level system permissions. The vulnerability specifically affects the service's ability to distinguish between legitimate system processes and potentially malicious local applications attempting to exploit the privilege escalation path.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes Samsung devices to serious security risks including potential data compromise, system integrity breaches, and unauthorized access to sensitive device functions. Local attackers could leverage this weakness to gain elevated privileges that would allow them to modify system configurations, access protected data, or manipulate device behavior in ways that could undermine the overall security posture. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation as the compromised themes service could serve as a foothold for further attacks, potentially enabling attackers to access other system components or user data.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and privileges for system access. This flaw represents a particularly concerning weakness because it operates at the system service level where local attackers can potentially gain access to functionality that should remain restricted to trusted system components. The risk is compounded by the fact that exploitation requires minimal prerequisites beyond local execution access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where device security is paramount.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize the immediate application of the July 2023 Security Maintenance Release 1 which contains the necessary patches to address the privilege management gap. Organizations should implement comprehensive device monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and establish regular security update protocols to ensure timely patch deployment. Additionally, security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement network-based detection measures that can monitor for suspicious privilege escalation patterns. The remediation approach must include both immediate patching and long-term security hardening practices to prevent similar issues from emerging in other system components.