CVE-2024-32876 NewPipe has potential security vulnerability when importing settings

High 8.5 Published Updated

Attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into importing malicious backup files in NewPipe Android app.

Exploited in the wild
Not known
Login needed
Not needed
Attackable
Local or same network only
Victim action needed
A user has to click or open something
Fix
None listed

What is CVE-2024-32876?

CVE-2024-32876 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in TeamNewPipe NewPipe, published on 24 Apr 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

NewPipe is an Android app for video streaming written in Java. It supports exporting and importing backups, as a way to let users move their data to a new device effortlessly. However, in versions 0.13.4 through 0.26.1, importing a backup file from an untrusted source could have resulted in Arbitrary Code Execution. This is because backups are serialized/deserialized using Java's Object Serialization Stream Protocol, which can allow constructing any class in the app, unless properly restricted.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to build a backup file containing the exploit, and then persuade a user into importing it. During the import process, the malicious code would be executed, possibly crashing the app, stealing user data from the NewPipe app, performing nasty actions through Android APIs, and attempting Android JVM/Sandbox escapes through vulnerabilities in the Android OS.

The attack can take place only if the user imports a malicious backup file, so an attacker would need to trick a user into importing a backup file from a source they can control. The implementation details of the malicious backup file can be independent of the attacked user or the device they are being run on, and do not require additional privileges.

All NewPipe versions from 0.13.4 to 0.26.1 are vulnerable. NewPipe version 0.27.0 fixes the issue by doing the following: Restrict the classes that can be deserialized when calling Java's Object Serialization Stream Protocol, by adding a whitelist with only innocuous data-only classes that can't lead to Arbitrary Code Execution; deprecate backups serialized with Java's Object Serialization Stream Protocol; use JSON serialization for all newly created backups (but still include an alternative file serialized with Java's Object Serialization Stream Protocol in the backup zip for backwards compatibility); show a warning to the user when attempting to import a backup where the only available serialization mode is Java's Object Serialization Stream Protocol (note that in the future this serialization mode will be removed completely).

Weakness: CWE-502

Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-32876?

How do I fix CVE-2024-32876?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-32876 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and only deserialise data from trusted sources or with an allow-list of types. More about Unsafe deserialization.

Is CVE-2024-32876 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-32876 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-wxrm-jhpf-vp6v.

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