CVE-2022-44553: HiView Module Vulnerability and Exploit Details – Third-Party Apps Invocation

CVE-2022-44553 is the identifier assigned to a recently discovered vulnerability that affects the HiView module. The module has a critical flaw in its implementation that allows third-party apps to be invoked periodically without proper filtering. In this post, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, including code snippets reproducing the issue, links to original references, and possible mitigations.

Exploit Details

The HiView module is designed to facilitate the collection and analysis of system events for diagnostics and user experience improvement. However, improper validation of input data within the module allows a malicious third-party app to be invoked by the module, potentially leading to unauthorized access and the execution of malicious code.

The vulnerability specifically lies in the function responsible for traversing through the list of available apps to invoke the system provider. Due to inadequate filtering, malicious third-party apps can be added to the list, making them eligible for periodic execution.

Here is a sample code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability

public class HiViewModule {
    // ...

    private void traverseAndInvokeProvider() {
        for (App app : appList) {
            if (!isValidSystemProvider(app)) { // Missing check to filter out third-party apps
                continue;
            }
            Provider provider = app.getProvider();
            provider.invoke();
        }
    }

    private boolean isValidSystemProvider(App app) {
        // Check if app is a valid system provider
    }

    // ...
}

As seen in the code, the traverseAndInvokeProvider() method misses checking to filter out third-party apps, allowing them to be invoked by the HiView module.

For detailed information and analysis of CVE-2022-44553, you can visit the following links

1. CVE Record - CVE-2022-44553
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) - CVE-2022-44553

Mitigations

To prevent exploitation of CVE-2022-44553, the developers of HiView module are recommended to apply the following fix:
- Implement a proper check within the traverseAndInvokeProvider() method to filter out all non-system apps before invoking the corresponding provider.

For example

private void traverseAndInvokeProvider() {
    for (App app : appList) {
        if (!isValidSystemProvider(app) || isThirdPartyApp(app)) { // Adding the missing check
            continue;
        }
        Provider provider = app.getProvider();
        provider.invoke();
    }
}

private boolean isThirdPartyApp(App app) {
    // Check if app is a third-party app
}

Regularly checking the list of installed apps for any suspicious third-party apps and removing them

- Keeping the smartphone software up-to-date and applying security patches as soon as they become available.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-44553 is a critical vulnerability affecting the HiView module, which allows third-party apps to be invoked without proper filtering. Developers must apply the necessary fixes to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. Users should remain vigilant and follow security best practices to prevent their devices from being exploited.

Timeline

Published on: 11/09/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/14/2022 19:13:00 UTC