CVE-2024-36503 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2024
Memory management vulnerability in the Gralloc module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-36503 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Gralloc module of Android operating systems. This module serves as a crucial component responsible for managing graphic buffer allocation and memory handling across various Android devices. The Gralloc module acts as an intermediary between graphics applications and the underlying hardware, facilitating efficient memory utilization for display operations and multimedia processing. Given its fundamental role in the Android graphics subsystem, any vulnerability within this module can have widespread implications for device stability and security.
This memory management vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes within the Gralloc implementation. The flaw likely manifests through inadequate bounds checking, insufficient memory validation, or flawed memory reuse mechanisms that could lead to memory corruption or unauthorized memory access patterns. Such issues typically arise when the module fails to properly validate buffer sizes, handle memory pointers correctly, or maintain proper memory state management during concurrent operations. The vulnerability may involve improper handling of graphic buffer objects, leading to potential buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or memory leaks that can compromise the integrity of the graphics subsystem.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting this vulnerability primarily affects system availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. Attackers could potentially trigger denial-of-service conditions by causing the Gralloc module to crash or become unresponsive, leading to complete system instability. This availability impact could manifest as screen freezes, graphics rendering failures, complete system crashes, or the need for device rebooting. The vulnerability's exploitation could affect various Android applications that rely on graphic rendering, including media playback, gaming applications, and system UI components, resulting in widespread service disruption across the affected device. Additionally, the compromised memory management could lead to memory exhaustion conditions that prevent legitimate applications from functioning properly.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations. The exploitation patterns may also correspond to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1499, specifically the exploitation of system memory for denial-of-service attacks. The vulnerability's nature suggests it could be leveraged to create persistent availability issues that require device-level intervention for resolution. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust memory validation mechanisms, enhancing bounds checking procedures, and ensuring proper memory lifecycle management within the Gralloc module. Security patches would typically involve strengthening memory allocation routines, implementing additional validation checks, and potentially introducing memory isolation mechanisms to prevent exploitation. Device manufacturers and security teams should prioritize immediate patch deployment to address this vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation scenarios that could lead to widespread service disruption across affected Android devices.