#VU43421 Resource management error in Google Android - CVE-2011-3918

Vulnerability identifier: #VU43421

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 7.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2011-3918

CWE-ID: CWE-399

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
Google Android
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Google

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote non-authenticated attacker to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The Zygote process in Android 4.0.3 and earlier accepts fork requests from processes with arbitrary UIDs, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (reboot loop) via a crafted application.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Google Android: 1.0 - 1.6, 2.0 - 2.3.7, 3.0 - 3.2.6, 4.0 - 4.0.2

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External links
https://www.ai-lab.it/merlo/publications/DoSAndroid.pdf
https://code.google.com/p/android-source-browsing/source/detail?repo=platform--system--core&r=e7fd911fd42b

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.