CVE-2024-53936 is a vulnerability identified in the Android application 'Color Phone Call Screen' (package name com.asianmobile.callcolor). The flaw resides in the app's component com.asianmobile.callcolor.ui.component.call.CallActivity, which improperly exposes functionality that allows any other installed application, even those without any permissions, to initiate phone calls silently by sending a crafted intent. This means that malicious apps can exploit this component to place calls without user consent or interaction, bypassing normal Android permission checks. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.3, reflecting medium severity, with attack vector being adjacent network (AV:A), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability rated as low (C:L/I:L/A:L). The flaw could be leveraged to make unauthorized calls, potentially leading to financial charges, privacy breaches, or denial of service through call spamming. No patches or fixes are currently listed, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability highlights a design weakness in intent handling and component exposure within the app, which should be addressed by restricting intent filters or enforcing permission checks on the vulnerable component.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-53936 is unauthorized phone call initiation by malicious apps without requiring any permissions or user interaction. This can lead to several adverse effects: financial loss due to premium or international calls, privacy violations through call metadata exposure, potential harassment or denial of service by call spamming, and erosion of user trust in affected devices. While the confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are rated low individually, the combined effect can be significant for users and organizations relying on the affected app. Enterprises with Android devices using this app may face increased risk of fraud or operational disruption. The lack of required permissions and user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat surface. However, the attack vector is adjacent network, meaning the attacker must have some level of access to the device or network environment. Since no known exploits are reported, the immediate risk is moderate but could escalate if weaponized.

To mitigate CVE-2024-53936, organizations and users should: 1) Identify and uninstall the 'Color Phone Call Screen' app if it is not essential, especially in enterprise environments. 2) If the app is required, monitor for updates or patches from the vendor and apply them promptly once available. 3) Use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to restrict installation of untrusted or unnecessary apps that could exploit this vulnerability. 4) Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect suspicious call initiation patterns. 5) Restrict or audit intent communications on Android devices using security frameworks or custom policies to prevent unauthorized intents targeting vulnerable components. 6) Educate users about risks of installing apps from untrusted sources and the importance of monitoring call logs for unexpected activity. 7) Network-level controls can be used to detect and block unusual call traffic patterns. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the vulnerable component's exposure and monitoring for exploitation attempts.