CVE-2023-48417: Investigating Missing Permission Checks in KeyChainActivity Application Leading to Unauthorized Access and Manipulation Vulnerabilities

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database, widely known by its acronym CVE, is a fundamental source when it comes to tracking and addressing vulnerabilities in software. In this in-depth analysis, we will discuss the details of CVE-2023-48417, a vulnerability detected in the KeyChainActivity Application, which allows an attacker to have unauthorized access to sensitive data and manipulate them. This vulnerability in question originated from missing proper permission checks, which directly impacts the security of the system. We will delve into the vulnerability's exploit details, a code snippet for better comprehension, and the crucial steps necessary for mitigation.

Vulnerability Overview

The KeyChainActivity Application is designed to manage user credentials securely. However, due to insufficient permission checks, the application becomes susceptible to unauthorized access and manipulation attacks. An attacker who exploits this vulnerability can effectively access critical data such as user passwords, cryptographic keys, and many other sensitive pieces of information. This could potentially lead to a breach in user privacy and compromise the overall security of the system.

Exploit Details

The unauthorized access to the KeyChainActivity Application is made possible by leveraging the Android Intent mechanism. Intents are used to navigate through different components of an application. In this case, the vulnerability arises because an attacker can send an Intent to the KeyChainActivity without any explicit user interaction.

An exemplary exploit code snippet to access the Activity is as follows

// Create an Intent to launch KeyChainActivity
Intent intent = new Intent("com.example.KeyChainActivity");

// Set malicious data as Extras
intent.putExtra("malicious_data", "payload");

// Set the ComponentName explicitly to prevent activity hijacking
intent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.example", "com.example.KeyChainActivity"));

// Start the Activity
startActivity(intent);

In the above code snippet, an attacker first composes an Intent object, targeting the KeyChainActivity. Subsequently, the attacker adds a piece of malicious data as "Extras" and sets the ComponentName explicitly to avoid activity hijacking. Lastly, the attacker initiates the startActivity method with the crafted Intent, leading to unauthorized access.

To get more acquainted with this vulnerability and its details, here are a few key references

1. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures entry for CVE-2023-48417: CVE-2023-48417
2. The National Vulnerability Database page with details about CVE-2023-48417: NVD - CVE-2023-48417
3. Android official developer documentation on understanding Android Intents: Working with Intents

Mitigation

Developers of the KeyChainActivity Application need to take immediate action to safeguard their applications from this vulnerability. The initial step towards mitigating this issue is implementing proper permission checks for Intents. Applications must assess the legitimacy of an incoming Intent and ensure it originates from a trusted source before granting access to sensitive data. Restricting access to Activities that handle sensitive information is also of utmost importance.

In conclusion, CVE-2023-48417 presents significant risks for the KeyChainActivity Application. The vulnerability stems from inadequate permission checks resulting in unauthorized access and potential manipulation of sensitive user data. By examining the exploit details and code snippet, developers can understand the severity of the issue and implement necessary mitigation strategies. By staying informed of the latest vulnerabilities and applying robust security measures, developers can effectively protect their applications and maintain user trust.

Timeline

Published on: 12/11/2023 06:15:42 UTC
Last modified on: 12/13/2023 21:16:07 UTC