CVE-2023-42675 in SC7731E
Summary
by MITRE • 12/04/2023
In imsservice, there is a possible way to write permission usage records of an app due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42675 affects the imsservice component where improper permission validation allows unauthorized applications to write permission usage records. This flaw exists within the Android operating system's permission management framework where the service fails to properly verify whether an application has the necessary authorization before allowing it to log permission usage. The missing permission check creates a path for malicious or poorly designed applications to bypass normal security controls and record permission access patterns that should be restricted to system-level or authorized components only.
This vulnerability represents a significant security gap that maps to CWE-693 Protection Mechanism Failure, specifically involving inadequate permission validation mechanisms. The flaw allows for local information disclosure without requiring any additional execution privileges, meaning that any application with basic access to the system can potentially exploit this weakness to gather sensitive data about permission usage patterns. The imsservice component typically handles messaging and communication services, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could expose communication patterns and potentially sensitive metadata about application behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a potential attack vector for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could use this weakness to monitor permission usage across multiple applications, potentially identifying sensitive access patterns or discovering the presence of security tools within the system. This information gathering capability could be leveraged in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to build a comprehensive profile of the device's security posture and application behavior. The vulnerability affects the core integrity of the Android permission model, undermining the trust model that protects users from unauthorized access to their data.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper permission validation checks within the imsservice component and ensuring that all permission usage records are only accessible to authorized system components. System administrators should enforce strict application vetting processes and consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual permission usage patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1546.001 for privilege escalation through service manipulation. Regular security audits of system services and permission handling mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar gaps in authorization controls that could be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.