CVE-2024-45442 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2024
Vulnerability of permission verification for APIs in the DownloadProviderMain module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-45442 represents a critical weakness in the permission verification mechanisms of the DownloadProviderMain module within a software system. This issue stems from inadequate access control validation that allows unauthorized entities to bypass normal security checks. The flaw specifically affects the API endpoints responsible for download management operations, creating potential pathways for malicious actors to manipulate or disrupt download services. The vulnerability manifests as a failure in proper authentication and authorization processes, where the system does not adequately verify user permissions before executing sensitive operations. This weakness directly impacts the integrity and availability of download services, as attackers could potentially trigger denial of service conditions or gain unauthorized access to download functionalities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic permission bypass flaw that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. The DownloadProviderMain module fails to enforce proper access controls when processing API requests, allowing attackers to exploit the lack of verification mechanisms. This weakness can be leveraged through crafted API calls that do not properly authenticate or authorize the requesting entity. The system's failure to validate user credentials or roles before executing download operations creates a scenario where any authenticated user might be able to perform actions beyond their intended permissions. This type of vulnerability often arises from insufficient input validation and inadequate security controls within API gateway implementations.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2024-45442 extends beyond simple availability disruption to encompass broader service reliability concerns. Successful exploitation could result in complete denial of download services, as malicious actors might be able to overwhelm the system with unauthorized requests or manipulate download queues. The vulnerability creates opportunities for resource exhaustion attacks where attackers flood the system with requests that bypass normal rate limiting or access control mechanisms. Additionally, the compromised availability could lead to cascading failures if the download service is integral to other system components or user workflows. Organizations relying on this module for content delivery or file management operations would face significant operational disruptions.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust access control mechanisms and strengthening API security protocols. The primary remediation involves enhancing the permission verification process within the DownloadProviderMain module by enforcing strict authentication checks before any API operations are executed. This includes implementing proper role-based access control systems that validate user permissions against specific download operations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as API rate limiting, request validation, and comprehensive logging of all download-related activities. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which addresses valid accounts and privilege escalation, as proper access controls would prevent unauthorized use of legitimate system functions. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar permission verification weaknesses across the software ecosystem, ensuring comprehensive protection against exploitation attempts that could compromise system availability and integrity.