Overview
The CVE-2023-52108 signifies a notable vulnerability within the ActivityManagerService module, impacting the process priorities. Its successful exploitation leads to a negative impact on the system availability, potentially enabling system compromise or data leakage. It’s essential for entities using affected versions of the module to understand the vulnerability and implement suitable measures to mitigate its effects promptly.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-52108
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
ActivityManagerService | Versions prior to 5.2.0
How the Exploit Works
The CVE-2023-52108 vulnerability arises from a flaw in the way process priorities are managed within the ActivityManagerService module. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the process priorities to gain unauthorized control over certain system operations, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker might use a shell command to manipulate the process priorities, as shown below:
$ echo '5' > /proc/$(pgrep vulnerable_process)/oom_score_adj
In this conceptual example, the attacker is assigning a higher priority to a vulnerable process (`vulnerable_process`), thereby gaining undue control over system operations.
Mitigation Measures
The most effective mitigation measure is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation by identifying and blocking suspicious activities. It’s also recommended to regularly review system logs and monitor process priorities to identify any abnormal behavior.
