CVE-2015-7740 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei P7 before P7-L00C17B851, P7-L05C00B851, and P7-L09C92B851 and P8 ALE-UL00 before ALE-UL00B211 allows local users to cause a denial of service (OS crash) via vectors involving an application that passes crafted input to the GPU driver.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7740 affects Huawei P7 and P8 smartphone models prior to specific software versions, representing a critical local privilege escalation issue within the Android-based mobile operating system. This flaw resides in the GPU driver component of the device's kernel, creating a pathway for malicious applications to exploit memory handling mechanisms and trigger system-wide crashes. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs when the GPU driver fails to properly validate input parameters passed from user-space applications. Such issues typically fall under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though the specific implementation details suggest a more complex memory management failure within the graphics processing subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it enables local attackers to systematically destabilize the device's operating system through carefully crafted application inputs. When an application successfully exploits this weakness, it can cause the entire operating system to crash and potentially restart, leading to complete service disruption for the end user. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile environments where users may unknowingly install malicious applications or where applications with legitimate permissions could be compromised to exploit this weakness. The attack vector involves passing malformed or crafted input data to the GPU driver, which then processes this data without proper validation, resulting in memory corruption that forces the system to terminate or reboot.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and system resource compromise. The local nature of the vulnerability means that an attacker must already have application-level access to the device, typically through user installation of malicious software or through exploitation of other vulnerabilities that grant application execution capabilities. The vulnerability's classification as a local denial of service means that it requires physical access or the ability to install applications on the target device, but once exploited, can cause significant operational disruption. The specific nature of the GPU driver exploitation suggests that the vulnerability may involve improper handling of graphics rendering commands or memory allocation patterns that are common in mobile GPU implementations. This type of flaw is particularly challenging to detect and mitigate because it operates at the kernel level and requires deep understanding of both the hardware architecture and the software driver implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7740 primarily involve applying the vendor-provided security patches and firmware updates that address the specific memory handling issues within the GPU driver component. Users should immediately upgrade their devices to the patched versions mentioned in the vulnerability description, as Huawei released updates specifically addressing this issue. System administrators and security professionals should also consider implementing mobile device management policies that prevent installation of untrusted applications and monitor for suspicious behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in kernel-level drivers and the necessity of thorough input validation, particularly for graphics processing components. Organizations managing Huawei devices should also implement regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify any remaining unpatched systems within their networks. Additionally, the incident underscores the need for better application sandboxing and privilege separation mechanisms to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities even when they are successfully exploited.