CVE-2023-42539 in Health
Summary
by MITRE • 11/07/2023
PendingIntent hijacking vulnerability in ChallengeNotificationManager in Samsung Health prior to version 6.25 allows local attackers to access data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2023
The CVE-2023-42539 vulnerability represents a critical PendingIntent hijacking flaw within Samsung Health's ChallengeNotificationManager component, affecting versions prior to 6.25. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of PendingIntent objects that are used to launch activities or services when notifications are interacted with. The flaw allows local attackers to manipulate these PendingIntent references and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data within the health application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the notification level where users frequently interact with health tracking information, creating a vector for data exfiltration and privacy breaches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the insecure creation and management of PendingIntent objects within the ChallengeNotificationManager. When Samsung Health generates notifications for challenges or health metrics, it creates PendingIntent references that should only be executable by the legitimate application. However, due to inadequate security controls in the PendingIntent creation process, malicious local applications can craft their own PendingIntent objects that reference the same intent actions, effectively hijacking the notification interaction. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic issues including improper handling of cryptographic keys and security parameters, and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The flaw demonstrates a failure in proper access control mechanisms and privilege separation within the Android notification system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as Samsung Health contains sensitive personal health information including activity tracking data, biometric measurements, and user health metrics. Local attackers with malicious applications installed on the device can exploit this vulnerability to access private health data, potentially leading to identity theft, targeted advertising, or even blackmail. The attack surface is particularly wide since Samsung Health is a widely used application with deep integration into Android's notification system. Once exploited, the hijacking can persist across device reboots and sessions, allowing continuous unauthorized access to health data. This vulnerability also undermines user trust in the security of health applications and could have broader implications for health data privacy regulations such as HIPAA compliance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-42539 require immediate action from Samsung to release version 6.25 or later, which includes proper PendingIntent security controls and validation mechanisms. Users should ensure their Samsung Health applications are updated to the latest version and should avoid installing untrusted applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Security researchers recommend implementing proper PendingIntent flags such as FLAG_IMMUTABLE and FLAG_NO_CREATE to prevent unauthorized modifications. Additionally, the Android security model should enforce stricter validation of PendingIntent objects, particularly those associated with health and sensitive data applications. Organizations should monitor for malicious applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability and implement mobile device management policies that restrict installation of unapproved applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper Android security practices including the use of secure coding standards and regular security audits of notification handling components.