CVE-2023-41311 in EMUI
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2023
Permission control vulnerability in the audio module. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause an app to be activated automatically.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2024
This vulnerability resides within the audio module of a system, representing a critical permission control flaw that undermines the security model governing application execution. The issue manifests as an insufficient access control mechanism that allows unauthorized applications to bypass normal permission boundaries and trigger automatic activation of target applications. Such a weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and mandatory access control, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate system behavior without proper authorization. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, specifically focusing on inadequate permission validation within system modules.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the audio module fails to properly validate the identity and permissions of processes attempting to initiate or control audio applications. This weakness enables an attacker to craft malicious payloads or exploit existing system interactions that can trigger automatic app activation through audio interfaces. The vulnerability likely stems from improper validation of caller credentials, missing permission checks during audio event processing, or flawed privilege escalation mechanisms within the audio subsystem. Attackers can leverage this to execute unauthorized application launches, potentially leading to unwanted system behavior or further exploitation of adjacent security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized app activation, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple attack scenarios. An attacker could use this vulnerability to automatically launch malicious applications, potentially enabling further compromise through chained attacks or privilege escalation. The automatic activation capability makes this particularly dangerous as it can occur without user interaction or awareness, effectively bypassing typical user consent mechanisms. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to system integrity and user privacy, especially in environments where audio interfaces are frequently accessed or where applications have elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust access control checks within the audio module, enforcing proper permission validation for all audio-related operations, and establishing comprehensive audit trails for application activation events. System administrators should ensure that audio module permissions are properly configured according to principle of least privilege, limiting which applications can trigger audio-related actions. Regular security assessments should validate that audio interfaces properly enforce access controls and that no unauthorized applications can exploit the permission control flaw. Additionally, implementing behavioral monitoring and anomaly detection for automatic application activation events can help identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of securing all system interfaces, including seemingly benign modules like audio processing components, as they can serve as entry points for broader system compromise. The remediation efforts should align with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 controls for access control and system security planning.