CVE-2022-1799: CWE-501 Trust Boundary Violation in Google LLC Google Play Services SDK
Incorrect signature trust exists within Google Play services SDK play-services-basement. A debug version of Google Play services is trusted by the SDK for devices that are non-GMS. We recommend upgrading the SDK past the 2022-05-03 release.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2022-1799 is a vulnerability identified in the Google Play Services SDK, specifically within the play-services-basement component. The core issue is a trust boundary violation (CWE-501) where the SDK incorrectly trusts a debug version of Google Play services on devices that are non-GMS (Google Mobile Services). Normally, Google Play Services SDK is designed to interact securely with Google-certified devices that include GMS, ensuring that only properly signed and verified components are trusted. However, in this vulnerability, the SDK mistakenly accepts debug-signed versions of Google Play services on devices that do not have official GMS certification. This incorrect signature trust can lead to a scenario where malicious or unauthorized debug builds of Google Play services could be accepted by the SDK, potentially allowing an attacker to bypass security controls, manipulate SDK behavior, or escalate privileges within the app ecosystem that relies on these services. The vulnerability was published on July 29, 2022, and Google recommends upgrading the SDK to versions released after May 3, 2022, which presumably contain fixes to address this trust boundary violation. There are no known exploits in the wild reported for this vulnerability, and the affected versions are unspecified but relate to versions prior to the May 2022 fix. The vulnerability is categorized as medium severity by the vendor, reflecting a moderate risk level given the nature of the trust violation and the conditions required for exploitation.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-1799 primarily revolves around the integrity and trustworthiness of applications that rely on the Google Play Services SDK, especially those deployed on Android devices without official GMS certification. This includes devices used in specialized enterprise environments or regions where non-GMS devices are more common. If exploited, attackers could potentially introduce malicious debug versions of Google Play services, leading to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or disruption of app functionality. This could compromise sensitive corporate data, interfere with mobile app security controls, and undermine user trust. Given the widespread use of Android devices across European enterprises and consumers, any compromise in the Google Play Services SDK could have cascading effects on mobile security, app reliability, and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. However, since exploitation requires non-GMS devices and acceptance of debug builds, the risk is somewhat limited to specific device populations and scenarios. Nonetheless, organizations deploying custom or non-standard Android devices should be particularly vigilant.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Upgrade the Google Play Services SDK to a version released after May 3, 2022, as recommended by Google, to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Audit and inventory all Android devices in use within the organization to identify any non-GMS devices that might be susceptible to this vulnerability. 3. Restrict or monitor the use of non-GMS devices within enterprise environments, especially those handling sensitive data or critical operations. 4. Implement application-level integrity checks and signature verifications to detect unauthorized or debug versions of Google Play services. 5. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce device compliance policies that prevent installation or use of debug or uncertified service versions. 6. Educate developers and IT staff about the risks associated with debug builds and the importance of using official, signed SDK components. 7. Monitor security advisories and threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploits or attack patterns related to this vulnerability to respond promptly.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Finland
CVE-2022-1799: CWE-501 Trust Boundary Violation in Google LLC Google Play Services SDK
Description
Incorrect signature trust exists within Google Play services SDK play-services-basement. A debug version of Google Play services is trusted by the SDK for devices that are non-GMS. We recommend upgrading the SDK past the 2022-05-03 release.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2022-1799 is a vulnerability identified in the Google Play Services SDK, specifically within the play-services-basement component. The core issue is a trust boundary violation (CWE-501) where the SDK incorrectly trusts a debug version of Google Play services on devices that are non-GMS (Google Mobile Services). Normally, Google Play Services SDK is designed to interact securely with Google-certified devices that include GMS, ensuring that only properly signed and verified components are trusted. However, in this vulnerability, the SDK mistakenly accepts debug-signed versions of Google Play services on devices that do not have official GMS certification. This incorrect signature trust can lead to a scenario where malicious or unauthorized debug builds of Google Play services could be accepted by the SDK, potentially allowing an attacker to bypass security controls, manipulate SDK behavior, or escalate privileges within the app ecosystem that relies on these services. The vulnerability was published on July 29, 2022, and Google recommends upgrading the SDK to versions released after May 3, 2022, which presumably contain fixes to address this trust boundary violation. There are no known exploits in the wild reported for this vulnerability, and the affected versions are unspecified but relate to versions prior to the May 2022 fix. The vulnerability is categorized as medium severity by the vendor, reflecting a moderate risk level given the nature of the trust violation and the conditions required for exploitation.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-1799 primarily revolves around the integrity and trustworthiness of applications that rely on the Google Play Services SDK, especially those deployed on Android devices without official GMS certification. This includes devices used in specialized enterprise environments or regions where non-GMS devices are more common. If exploited, attackers could potentially introduce malicious debug versions of Google Play services, leading to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or disruption of app functionality. This could compromise sensitive corporate data, interfere with mobile app security controls, and undermine user trust. Given the widespread use of Android devices across European enterprises and consumers, any compromise in the Google Play Services SDK could have cascading effects on mobile security, app reliability, and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. However, since exploitation requires non-GMS devices and acceptance of debug builds, the risk is somewhat limited to specific device populations and scenarios. Nonetheless, organizations deploying custom or non-standard Android devices should be particularly vigilant.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Upgrade the Google Play Services SDK to a version released after May 3, 2022, as recommended by Google, to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Audit and inventory all Android devices in use within the organization to identify any non-GMS devices that might be susceptible to this vulnerability. 3. Restrict or monitor the use of non-GMS devices within enterprise environments, especially those handling sensitive data or critical operations. 4. Implement application-level integrity checks and signature verifications to detect unauthorized or debug versions of Google Play services. 5. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce device compliance policies that prevent installation or use of debug or uncertified service versions. 6. Educate developers and IT staff about the risks associated with debug builds and the importance of using official, signed SDK components. 7. Monitor security advisories and threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploits or attack patterns related to this vulnerability to respond promptly.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- Date Reserved
- 2022-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
Threat ID: 682d984bc4522896dcbf8021
Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:09:31 AM
Last enriched: 6/20/2025, 1:04:23 PM
Last updated: 8/15/2025, 9:41:48 AM
Views: 20
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