Quantum Secular Labs / Blog / Advisories
CVE-2018-21038: Google Android: Authentication bypass
CVE-2018-21038 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 and NVD lists Google Android as the affected product. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.
Vulnerability description
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with N(7.x) software. The Secure Folder app's startup logic allows authentication bypass. The Samsung ID is SVE-2018-11628 (December 2018).
Severity breakdown
CVSS v3.1 9.8: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
- Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
- Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
- User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
- Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
- Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
- Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.
Underlying weakness
CWE-287: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
Affected products
- Google Android: 7.0; 7.1.0; 7.1.1; 7.1.2