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

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

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L`)
- **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 available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wxrm-jhpf-vp6v

## 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 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## 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.

## Is CVE-2024-32876 being exploited?

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

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-32876 and fix it if it is affected.

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

Affected product: TeamNewPipe NewPipe. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32876/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32876/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-32876
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-32876
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-32876

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32876/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.