CVE-2024-34605 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2024
Improper access control in SamsungHealthService prior to SMR Aug-2024 Release 1 allows local attackers to bypass restrictions on starting services from the background.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-34605 represents a critical access control flaw within Samsung's Health Service component that affects devices prior to the SMR August 2024 security release. This issue resides in the Android-based Samsung Smartphones and tablets where the SamsungHealthService application fails to properly enforce authorization checks when processing service start requests originating from background processes. The flaw stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized background service initiation, creating a pathway for malicious local applications to execute restricted operations without proper authentication or permission verification.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the service binding and activation mechanism within the SamsungHealthService framework. When background applications attempt to start or interact with health-related services, the system should validate the calling process's privileges and permissions before granting access. However, due to inadequate access control checks, local attackers can exploit this weakness to bypass these security restrictions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive health data processing capabilities. This misconfiguration allows attackers to initiate services that should only be available to authorized system components or user-initiated foreground applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it creates potential vectors for data exfiltration and unauthorized health monitoring activities. Attackers who successfully exploit this flaw can potentially access personal health information, monitor fitness tracking data, and manipulate health service configurations without user consent. The vulnerability particularly affects devices running Android versions where SamsungHealthService operates as a privileged system component, making it a significant concern for users who rely on their smartphones for health data management and fitness tracking. This weakness undermines the fundamental security model of the device by allowing unauthorized background processes to execute privileged operations that should remain restricted to legitimate system services or user-initiated activities.
Security researchers have identified this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-284 Access Control Flaws, specifically focusing on improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access restricted resources. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting local privileges to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations and individual users should prioritize updating their devices to the SMR August 2024 release or later versions that contain the patched SamsungHealthService implementation. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for any unauthorized background services that might indicate exploitation attempts and implement network monitoring to detect potential data exfiltration activities related to health information. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper access control implementation in system services, particularly those handling sensitive personal data, and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of privileged components within mobile operating systems.