CVE-2023-42687 in SC7731E
Summary
by MITRE • 12/04/2023
In wifi service, there is a possible missing permission check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42687 resides within the wifi service component of Android operating systems, representing a critical permission check failure that enables local privilege escalation. This flaw exists in the underlying system services that manage wireless network connectivity, specifically affecting how the wifi service validates access permissions for sensitive operations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate authorization mechanisms that fail to properly verify whether requesting processes possess the necessary privileges before executing privileged actions. According to CWE-284, this represents a weakness in access control where improper permissions lead to unauthorized privilege escalation, making it a direct descendant of improper access control issues that have plagued mobile operating systems for years.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows any local malicious application or service to exploit the missing permission check and elevate its privileges to that of the wifi service itself. This occurs because the wifi service does not properly validate the calling process identity or its associated permissions before performing operations that should be restricted to system-level components. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor through which unprivileged processes can execute privileged code, effectively bypassing the normal security boundaries that separate user applications from system services. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it requires no additional execution privileges beyond what is normally available to a standard application, making it accessible to attackers who have already gained user-level access to a device.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2023-42687 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full device compromise. Once an attacker achieves wifi service privileges, they can manipulate wireless network configurations, access network credentials, monitor network traffic, and potentially establish persistent access to the device. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes local privilege escalation through system binary manipulation or service exploitation. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that wifi service operations are frequently accessed during normal device operation, providing multiple potential entry points for exploitation.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper permission validation mechanisms within the wifi service component. System administrators and device manufacturers must ensure that all service operations perform comprehensive access control checks before executing privileged actions. The recommended approach involves strengthening the permission model by implementing mandatory access controls and ensuring that all system services properly validate the identity and privileges of calling processes. Additionally, regular security audits of system services should be conducted to identify similar permission check gaps that could be exploited for privilege escalation. The fix typically requires modifying the wifi service implementation to enforce strict permission validation before allowing any privileged operations to proceed, aligning with the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems immediately, as this vulnerability represents a critical threat to device security and user privacy.