CVE-2023-40108 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 01/22/2025
In multiple locations, there is a possible way to access media content belonging to another user due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw that exists across multiple components of the affected system, allowing unauthorized access to media content through insufficient permission validation mechanisms. The issue stems from a fundamental breakdown in access control enforcement where proper authentication checks fail to validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive media resources. The vulnerability manifests as a missing permission check that should occur at multiple points within the application's media handling logic, creating consistent pathways for privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization issues in software systems, and specifically relates to the broader category of access control vulnerabilities that can lead to unauthorized data exposure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to potentially access media content belonging to other users within the same system. This unauthorized access can occur without any user interaction requirements, meaning that an attacker can exploit the vulnerability automatically without needing to manipulate user behavior or perform complex attack sequences. The lack of user interaction requirements significantly increases the exploitability of this vulnerability and reduces the attack surface complexity. The local information disclosure aspect indicates that the vulnerability operates within the system's local environment rather than requiring network-based exploitation, which can make detection more challenging and potentially allow for more persistent access patterns. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1074.001, which covers data staging through local data staging methods, and demonstrates how insufficient permission checks can create persistent access vectors.
The technical nature of this flaw suggests that the system's permission model has gaps in its implementation across multiple application components, indicating either incomplete security testing or a design flaw in the access control architecture. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple locations indicates that the underlying permission validation logic may be implemented inconsistently or that there are shared components that fail to enforce proper access controls. This type of vulnerability often occurs when developers assume that certain access controls are implicitly enforced or when security checks are bypassed for performance reasons without proper validation. The lack of additional execution privileges required for exploitation means that even users with minimal system access could potentially leverage this vulnerability to access restricted media content, making it particularly dangerous in environments with multiple user roles and varying permission levels. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews and ensure that all media handling components enforce proper authentication and authorization checks to prevent such unauthorized access scenarios.