Source: cve@mitre.org
The Anti-theft service in AVG AntiVirus for Android allows physically proximate attackers to provide arbitrary location data via a "commonly available simple GPS location spoofer."
AVG AntiVirus for Android suffers from a critical vulnerability allowing attackers to spoof GPS location data, potentially leading to the bypass of anti-theft features and unauthorized access to device location information. This flaw enables attackers to provide false location data to the Anti-theft service, effectively misleading the application and potentially compromising user privacy and device security.
Step 1: Target Selection: Identify a target device running AVG AntiVirus for Android with the Anti-theft service enabled. Step 2: Tool Acquisition: Obtain a 'commonly available simple GPS location spoofer' application or tool. These tools are readily available on the Google Play Store or through other sources. Step 3: Spoofing Setup: Install and configure the GPS location spoofer on a device (e.g., a separate Android device) or emulator capable of spoofing GPS data. Step 4: Location Injection: Configure the spoofer to transmit arbitrary GPS coordinates to the target device. This could involve setting a specific latitude and longitude. Step 5: Anti-theft Bypass: Trigger an anti-theft action on the target device (e.g., sending a remote lock or wipe command). The Anti-theft service will then use the spoofed location data instead of the device's actual location. Step 6: Data Manipulation: The attacker can now provide false location data to the Anti-theft service, effectively misleading the application and potentially compromising user privacy and device security.
The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation or sanitization of GPS location data received by the AVG Anti-theft service. The service accepts location data from external sources, including a 'commonly available simple GPS location spoofer'. The root cause is likely a lack of authentication or integrity checks on the received location data. The application trusts the spoofed location data without verifying its authenticity or origin. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary location coordinates, bypassing the intended location tracking and anti-theft functionality. There is no indication of a buffer overflow or other memory corruption issues, but the core issue is a logic flaw in how the application processes location data.
Due to the nature of the vulnerability, it's difficult to attribute it to specific APT groups. However, any actor with the capability to physically access a device or remotely control it (e.g., through malware) could exploit this. This vulnerability does not appear in the CISA KEV catalog.
Monitor device logs for unusual location changes, especially if the device is stationary.
Analyze network traffic for communication patterns associated with GPS spoofing tools.
Review application permissions to identify apps with location spoofing capabilities.
Examine the device's GPS history for sudden jumps or unrealistic location changes.
Implement a Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solution that can detect and alert on GPS spoofing attempts.
Update AVG AntiVirus for Android to the latest version, which likely includes a patch for this vulnerability.
Implement robust location data validation, including checks for data integrity, origin, and plausibility.
Require authentication and authorization for all location data received by the Anti-theft service.
Consider using device-specific hardware identifiers to verify the authenticity of location data.
Implement a mechanism to detect and alert on suspicious location changes, such as sudden jumps or unrealistic movements.
Educate users about the risks of GPS spoofing and the importance of keeping their devices and applications up-to-date.