CVE-2023-4753 in OpenHarmony
Summary
by MITRE • 09/21/2023
OpenHarmony v3.2.1 and prior version has a liteos-a kernel may crash caused by mqueue undetected entries vulnerability. Local attackers can crash liteos-a kernel by the error input
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4753 affects OpenHarmony versions 3.2.1 and earlier, specifically targeting the liteos-a kernel implementation. This represents a critical stability issue within the operating system's kernel space where improper handling of message queue entries can lead to system crashes. The flaw exists in the kernel's message queue management subsystem, which is responsible for facilitating inter-process communication within the embedded operating system framework. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of resource management failure where the kernel fails to properly detect and handle malformed or unexpected entries within the message queue structures.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation mechanisms within the liteos-a kernel's message queue implementation. When local attackers provide malformed input parameters to the message queue subsystem, the kernel fails to properly detect these invalid entries and continues processing them, ultimately leading to a kernel panic or system crash. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input boundaries, and specifically relates to improper input validation within kernel space operations. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise the entire system stability without requiring elevated privileges beyond local access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes as it can be exploited by local attackers to perform denial-of-service attacks against OpenHarmony devices. Since the vulnerability requires only local access to trigger, it can be exploited by any user with access to the system, potentially affecting embedded devices, IoT systems, or mobile devices running OpenHarmony. The crash condition can lead to complete system unavailability, data loss, and potential security implications if the system cannot recover properly from the kernel panic. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" through kernel-level resource exhaustion or manipulation, and represents a significant concern for systems where continuous operation is critical.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-4753 should focus on upgrading to OpenHarmony versions that have addressed this kernel-level vulnerability, specifically targeting versions beyond 3.2.1 where the message queue handling has been properly validated. System administrators should implement proper input validation at the application level to prevent malformed entries from reaching the kernel space, though this is secondary to the primary fix. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual kernel crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust kernel-level input validation and proper error handling mechanisms, particularly in embedded systems where resource constraints may limit the ability to implement comprehensive security measures. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can monitor for suspicious kernel activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.