CVE-2023-38447 in SC7731E
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2023
In vowifiservice, there is a possible missing permission check.This could lead to local denial of service with no additional execution privileges
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-38447 resides within the vowifiservice component, representing a critical weakness in the permission validation mechanisms that govern system access controls. This issue manifests as a missing permission check that allows unauthorized local processes to potentially disrupt system operations without requiring elevated privileges or additional malicious code execution. The vulnerability specifically impacts the wireless network service functionality and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the authorization framework that should prevent unauthorized access to critical system resources.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate validation of user permissions within the vowifiservice daemon, where the system fails to properly verify whether incoming requests originate from authorized processes or users. This missing validation creates an attack surface where local malicious actors can exploit the service to perform unauthorized operations that ultimately result in denial of service conditions. The vulnerability operates at the system level where service permissions are not properly enforced, allowing processes that should be restricted to access critical resources and potentially destabilize the wireless networking functionality.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to system stability and availability within local network environments where the vowifiservice operates. The local denial of service condition can disrupt wireless connectivity for connected devices and potentially affect the overall network infrastructure managed by the compromised system. Attackers can leverage this weakness to systematically disable wireless services without requiring additional privileges, making the exploit particularly dangerous in environments where wireless connectivity is critical for operations. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by its local nature, as it can be exploited from within the system itself without requiring external network access.
The security implications extend beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system instability and resource exhaustion scenarios. When the missing permission check is exploited, the system may experience unexpected behavior where wireless services become unresponsive or crash entirely, leading to cascading effects on network-dependent applications and services. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all system services. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through service manipulation, where adversaries can leverage local service weaknesses to gain control over critical system functions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper permission validation mechanisms within the vowifiservice component, ensuring that all incoming requests undergo rigorous authentication and authorization checks before processing. System administrators should conduct immediate reviews of the service's access controls and implement proper user and group permissions that restrict access to authorized processes only. Additionally, regular security audits should be performed to identify and remediate similar permission validation gaps across all system services. The implementation of mandatory access controls and regular privilege reviews can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unauthorized access attempts to the wireless service components.