CVE-2023-38451
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-38451 is a missing permission check vulnerability in vowifiservice that allows local attackers to escalate privileges without requiring additional execution privileges. This affects systems running vulnerable versions of vowifiservice, potentially allowing attackers to gain elevated access on compromised devices.
💻 Affected Systems
- vowifiservice
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains full system/root privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence installation, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local user or malware with initial access escalates to higher privileges to bypass security controls, install additional malware, or access restricted data.
If Mitigated
Attackers with local access cannot escalate privileges beyond their assigned level, limiting damage to user-level activities.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access but no special privileges. The missing permission check makes exploitation straightforward once local access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not specified in provided references; check vendor advisory for specific patched versions.
Vendor Advisory: https://www.unisoc.com/en_us/secy/announcementDetail/1698296481653522434
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Unisoc security advisory for patch availability. 2. Apply vendor-provided firmware/software updates. 3. Reboot device to activate fixes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local access
allImplement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized local access to vulnerable systems.
Disable unnecessary services
androidIf vowifiservice is not required, disable it to remove attack surface.
adb shell pm disable com.android.vowifiservice (if applicable and supported)
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict principle of least privilege and monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts.
- Isolate vulnerable systems in segmented networks and restrict physical/local access.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check vowifiservice version and compare against vendor patched versions. Examine service permissions and validation logic.Check Version:
adb shell dumpsys package com.android.vowifiservice | grep version (for Android systems)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that vowifiservice has been updated to patched version and test privilege escalation attempts fail.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation attempts in system logs
- Unauthorized access to vowifiservice components
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="system_logs" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR service="vowifiservice")