CVE-2023-38461 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-2023-38461 resides within the vowifiservice component, representing a critical weakness in permission validation mechanisms. This issue manifests as a missing permission check that undermines the security posture of the affected system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the vowifiservice application which typically handles wireless communication services and network configuration tasks. Such services often operate with elevated privileges to perform their core functions, making them attractive targets for exploitation. The absence of proper permission verification creates a pathway for unauthorized local entities to manipulate service operations.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate access control implementation within the service architecture. When the vowifiservice processes requests or executes operations, it fails to validate whether the requesting entity possesses the necessary authorization levels. This missing validation occurs at multiple operational points where the service handles incoming commands or configuration changes. The vulnerability allows an attacker with local access to potentially disrupt service availability through malformed requests or unauthorized command execution. The flaw does not require elevated privileges beyond local system access, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by any user with basic system login credentials.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables local denial of service conditions that can significantly disrupt wireless communication services. The affected system may experience complete service unavailability, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations. The denial of service can manifest through various vectors including service crashes, resource exhaustion, or configuration corruption that prevents proper service initialization. Organizations relying on vowifiservice for network connectivity may face operational disruptions that affect productivity and communication capabilities. The localized nature of the attack means that the impact is contained to the specific system hosting the vulnerable service, but this still represents a significant security risk.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. This classification specifically addresses weaknesses where applications fail to properly enforce access restrictions, allowing unauthorized entities to perform operations they should not be permitted to execute. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, as it enables adversaries to disrupt service availability without requiring additional execution privileges. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks as it represents a persistent threat that can be exploited by both malicious insiders and external attackers with local access. The remediation approach should focus on implementing comprehensive access control checks and validating all service operations against proper authorization mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate implementation of access control validation within the vowifiservice component. System administrators must ensure that all service requests undergo proper permission verification before execution of any operations. The fix should involve adding robust access control checks that validate user credentials and authorization levels against predefined security policies. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and service disruptions related to this vulnerability. Regular security audits should verify that permission checks are properly enforced throughout the service lifecycle. The patching process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that access control mechanisms function correctly without introducing new operational issues. Additionally, system hardening measures should be implemented to restrict unnecessary local access and reduce the attack surface for potential exploitation of this vulnerability.