CVE-2024-23706 is a vulnerability identified in Google Android version 14 that allows local elevation of privilege by bypassing health data permissions. The root cause is improper input validation (CWE-20) in multiple locations within the Android platform, which leads to a bypass of the intended permission checks protecting sensitive health data. This flaw does not require the attacker to have any additional execution privileges or user interaction, meaning that a local attacker with access to the device can exploit this vulnerability to escalate their privileges. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.4 (high), with vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating that the attack requires local access and a high attack complexity but no privileges or user interaction. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, as the attacker can gain unauthorized access to health data and potentially manipulate it. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the sensitive nature of health data and the widespread use of Android devices. The lack of patches at the time of publication means that affected users and organizations must rely on interim mitigations until official updates are released.

The vulnerability poses a significant threat to European organizations, particularly those in healthcare, insurance, and sectors handling sensitive personal health information. Unauthorized local privilege escalation could lead to exposure or manipulation of protected health data, violating GDPR and other privacy regulations, potentially resulting in legal and financial penalties. The ability to escalate privileges without user interaction increases the risk of stealthy attacks, especially on shared or physically accessible devices. This could undermine trust in mobile health applications and devices, disrupt healthcare services, and compromise patient safety. Additionally, organizations relying on Android 14 devices for secure communications or data collection may face integrity and availability issues if attackers leverage this vulnerability. The impact extends beyond healthcare to any sector using Android 14 devices for sensitive operations, making timely mitigation critical.

1. Monitor for official security updates from Google and apply patches for Android 14 as soon as they become available to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Restrict physical and local access to Android 14 devices, especially in sensitive environments, to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 3. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce strict access controls and monitor device behavior for signs of privilege escalation attempts. 4. Limit the installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications that could be leveraged to exploit local vulnerabilities. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation and encourage prompt reporting of suspicious device behavior. 6. For healthcare organizations, implement additional encryption and access controls on health data at the application and storage layers to mitigate potential unauthorized access. 7. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on local privilege escalation vectors within Android devices used in the organization.