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CVE-2023-21125: Serious Memory Corruption Vulnerability Leading to Local Privilege Escalation

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Overview

CVE-2023-21125 is a critical vulnerability that exists in the Bluetooth interface code of certain systems, specifically in the btif_hh_hsdata_rpt_copy_cb of bta_hh.cc. This vulnerability, if exploited, can lead to memory corruption due to a use after free, causing local privilege escalation over Bluetooth. This means that an attacker can gain unauthorized access to the system and increase their privileges, potentially compromising the entire system or leading to data leakage. This issue is of high concern because it does not require any additional execution privileges and does not necessitate user interaction for exploitation.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2023-21125
Severity: High (CVSS: 8.0)
Attack Vector: Bluetooth
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Local escalation of privilege leading to potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

Bluetooth Interface | All versions before patch

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies within the btif_hh_hsdata_rpt_copy_cb of bta_hh.cc. This function is used to copy handshake data reports in the Bluetooth interface. The problem arises when an object that has been freed is still used in this function, leading to a “use after free” vulnerability. This can cause memory corruption, which an attacker can exploit to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges.

Conceptual Example Code

The following is a conceptual representation of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:

// hypothetical code
BluetoothObject *obj = new BluetoothObject();
delete obj; // The object is freed here
// Later in the code...
btif_hh_hsdata_rpt_copy_cb(obj); // The freed object is still used here, leading to memory corruption
obj->execute("malicious_code"); // The attacker exploits the memory corruption to execute arbitrary code

How to Mitigate

The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the patch provided by the vendor as soon as possible. If this is not immediately possible, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as a temporary mitigation to monitor and block suspicious activities. However, this should not be considered a permanent solution, as these systems may not be able to fully prevent an exploit of this vulnerability.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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