In the Android operating system, the CVE-2024-49732 vulnerability has been discovered, which allows attackers to potentially grant permissions without user consent. This can lead to a dangerous escalation of privilege on affected devices. Android's CompanionDeviceManagerService.java, which is responsible for managing and granting permissions to connected devices, is at the center of this issue.
In this deep dive, we will investigate the vulnerability, explore code snippets to better understand the problem, provide links to original references, and discuss the exploit details in a simple and exclusive manner.
The Vulnerability
First, let's shed some light on the problematic code. In the CompanionDeviceManagerService.java file, multiple functions do not properly verify permission checks before granting permissions. As a result, attackers can potentially escalate privileges without any user interaction or additional execution privileges needed.
To illustrate the issue, let's look at the following code snippet from CompanionDeviceManagerService.java:
public void associate(AssociationRequest request, IFindDeviceCallback callback) {
// ...
// Missing Permission check
// ...
mHandler.obtainMessage(MSG_ASSOCIATE, new AssociateInfo(request, callback, packageName)).sendToTarget();
}
In the above code, we can see that there is no permission check before the request to associate with a device is processed. This lack of check can lead to the vulnerability in question.
References
The vulnerability has been reported in the Android issue tracker and other security circles. Here are the links to the original references about CVE-2024-49732:
- Android Issue Tracker: CVE-2024-49732
- National Vulnerability Database: NVD-CVE-2024-49732
Exploit Details
While discussing the exploit details, it's crucial to understand that user interaction is NOT required for exploitation of this vulnerability. An attacker can exploit this missing permission check to escalate privileges.
Here is a high-level overview of the exploitation process
1. The attacker writes a malicious app that targets the vulnerable code in CompanionDeviceManagerService.java.
2. The malicious app gets installed on the user's device, either through third-party app stores or social engineering tactics.
3. Without user interaction, the malicious app exploits the missing permission check and grants permissions to itself or other potentially harmful apps.
4. With additional permissions, these malicious apps can now access sensitive user data or perform harmful actions on the device.
Use a robust security solution to protect your device from malware and other threats.
- Regularly review the permissions granted to the apps installed on your device and revoke any permissions that seem unnecessary.
Conclusion
In conclusion, CVE-2024-49732 is a dangerous vulnerability due to the missing permission check in CompanionDeviceManagerService.java. It could lead to local privilege escalation without requiring any user interaction or additional execution privileges. However, by staying informed and following security best practices, you can protect yourself from this and other potential threats.
Timeline
Published on: 01/21/2025 23:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 01/22/2025 18:15:19 UTC