CVE-2023-38443 in SC7731E
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2023
In vowifiservice, there is a possible missing permission check.This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-38443 resides within the vowifiservice component, representing a critical weakness in Android system security architecture. This issue manifests as a missing permission check that fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege enforcement. The vulnerability specifically affects the wireless service management functionality, where proper authorization controls fail to validate whether the calling process possesses adequate permissions before executing sensitive operations. Such a flaw creates an exploitable pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level access without requiring any additional malicious code execution or elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and permission verification mechanisms within the vowifiservice daemon. When processes attempt to interact with wireless service functionalities, the system should verify that the requesting entity has appropriate authorization levels before granting access to privileged operations. However, the missing permission check means that unauthorized processes can bypass these security controls and execute operations that should only be available to system-level components or processes with explicit administrative privileges. This represents a direct violation of access control principles and creates a persistent security weakness that can be exploited across multiple attack vectors.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to device security and user privacy. Local privilege escalation through missing permission checks allows attackers to gain root-level access to Android devices, enabling them to modify system files, install malicious applications, access sensitive user data, and potentially compromise the entire device ecosystem. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise to potential network-wide vulnerabilities, especially in enterprise environments where multiple devices may be connected to corporate networks. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no additional execution privileges, meaning that even standard user accounts can exploit this weakness to achieve system-level control.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control issues in software systems. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model's ability to enforce proper access controls, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege escalation. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through access token manipulation and abuse of system permissions. The lack of proper permission checking creates a persistent backdoor that can be leveraged repeatedly without detection, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking long-term access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-38443 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from device manufacturers and Android security teams. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and review access control policies across all wireless service components. The recommended approach includes applying security patches that restore proper permission checking mechanisms and implementing additional security controls such as SELinux policy enforcement and runtime application verification. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their mobile device management systems to identify similar permission-related vulnerabilities that may exist in other system components. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on access control mechanisms will help identify and remediate similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors.