CVE-2023-52365 refers to a significant out-of-bounds read vulnerability, discovered in the Smart Activity Recognition (SAR) module found in certain widely used commercial devices. When successfully exploited, this issue can cause key features to misbehave, potentially leaking sensitive user details or causing system instability. In this long read, we’ll break down the details, show how attackers exploit this bug, share a code snippet for context, and give you trusted reference links. If you work with or depend on smart activity recognition, you’ll want to know how this CVE can affect your system.

What is the Out-of-Bounds Read Vulnerability?

An “out-of-bounds read” means the code reads memory outside the limits of what it should. Normally, software modules like SAR receive chunks of data (such as arrays) and process them carefully. However, due to faulty input validation, code might access indexes past the valid array boundaries; this can allow an attacker to get information or cause unexpected behaviors.

When this happens inside a module responsible for “activity recognition”—the software that tells if you’re walking, running, sitting, etc.—it can have unforeseen consequences:

User privacy may be at risk.

Affected systems: Device models and software relying on the vulnerable version of the Smart Activity Recognition module.

Code Snippet Demonstrating the Bug

The actual code is not public (it’s embedded in proprietary modules), but from disclosed advisories, the vulnerability follows a common pattern. Here’s a simplified/illustrative snippet (written in C for demonstration):

// Hypothetical processing function in SAR:
void process_activity_data(int *data, int length) {
    int activity_scores[10];

    for (int i = ; i < length; i++) {
        // Vulnerable: no check that i < 10
        activity_scores[i] = data[i]; // If length > 10, out-of-bounds write!
    }

    // Now the logic reads from activity_scores, possibly reading illegal memory
    for (int j = ; j < 10; j++) {
        analyze_score(activity_scores[j]);
    }
}

If a specially crafted data buffer larger than length 10 is passed, both writes and reads go outside the intended array, potentially leaking memory content and affecting results.

Here’s how a potential attacker might leverage this vulnerability

1. Input Injection: The attacker supplies a malformed input to the smart activity recognition feature (through an app, sensor feed, or inter-process communication, depending on integration).
2. Memory Overread: When the module reads this data, it accesses out-of-bounds memory, unintentionally picking up unrelated memory content (possibly containing user data or security tokens).
3. Abnormal Behavior: The app or service starts returning strange results or crashes, or—worse—the attacker receives leaked information due to the out-of-bounds read.

Example scenario:
A compromised fitness app could send extra-long motion data arrays, causing SAR to access neighboring data and misclassify activities or expose internal device data.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC)

Below is a simulated PoC in Python to illustrate the flaw. This conceptual example models what could happen in a vulnerable implementation.

def process_activity(data):
    scores = []*10
    # Vulnerable loop: processes all data, regardless of scores size
    for i in range(len(data)):
        scores[i] = data[i]  # If len(data) > 10, goes out of bounds!
    return scores

# Attacker sends a too-long array
malicious_input = list(range(20))  # 20 elements, should be only 10 max

try:
    leaked = process_activity(malicious_input)
    print("Leaked data:", leaked)
except Exception as ex:
    print(f"Exception occurred: {ex}")

Real attacks would be more sophisticated, and the actual data structures more complex—this is just for illustration.

References

- Huawei Security Advisory (2023) - CVE-2023-52365
- NIST National Vulnerability Database Entry
- Common Weakness Enumeration: CWE-125 - Out-of-bounds Read

Mitigation Steps

- Update software: Check if your vendor has an update addressing CVE-2023-52365 and apply it immediately.

Input validation: Developers should enforce strict bounds checking on all data reads and writes.

- Regular audits: Review modules handling sensor or user data for buffer overflows/overreads.

Conclusion

Out-of-bounds reads like CVE-2023-52365 show how even popular “smart” modules can harbor critical bugs. Mitigating these flaws is vital to ensure user safety and system stability. If you use or build on smart activity recognition, take action by patching vulnerable code and improving bounds checking practices. As always, stay safe and keep your devices up-to-date!


*For continuous updates regarding this vulnerability, monitor the official NVD and your device vendor’s advisories.*

Timeline

Published on: 02/18/2024 03:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 12/09/2024 17:17:30 UTC