CVE-2015-8088 in Mate 7
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the HIFI driver in Huawei Mate 7 phones with software MT7-UL00 before MT7-UL00C17B354, MT7-TL10 before MT7-TL10C00B354, MT7-TL00 before MT7-TL00C01B354, and MT7-CL00 before MT7-CL00C92B354 and P8 phones with software GRA-TL00 before GRA-TL00C01B220SP01, GRA-CL00 before GRA-CL00C92B220, GRA-CL10 before GRA-CL10C92B220, GRA-UL00 before GRA-UL00C00B220, and GRA-UL10 before GRA-UL10C00B220 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (reboot) or execute arbitrary code via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2024
The heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8088 resides within the HIFI driver component of Huawei mobile devices, specifically affecting Mate 7 and P8 smartphone models. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that stems from improper memory management within the kernel-level driver responsible for handling high-fidelity audio processing. The vulnerability manifests when the HIFI driver processes malformed input data through crafted applications, creating conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory regions in the heap allocation space. Such memory corruption directly violates fundamental security principles and creates opportunities for privilege escalation and system compromise. The affected software versions span multiple Huawei device families and firmware revisions, indicating a widespread issue that affects both consumer and enterprise mobile platforms. The vulnerability's classification as heap-based indicates that the buffer overflow occurs within dynamically allocated memory segments rather than stack-based buffers, making exploitation more complex but potentially more dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of heap memory layout.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious applications that deliberately trigger memory corruption within the HIFI driver's heap management system. When legitimate applications or malicious payloads pass malformed audio data structures to the driver, the insufficient bounds checking allows data to overflow into adjacent heap memory locations. This overflow can overwrite critical data structures, function pointers, or return addresses, ultimately leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The heap overflow conditions create a pathway for attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the driver process, potentially elevating privileges from user-level applications to kernel-level operations. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires only a crafted application to be installed and executed, making it accessible through standard app distribution channels without requiring physical access or specialized attack infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to include denial of service conditions that can force device reboots, effectively creating persistent availability issues for affected users.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8088 presents significant risks to both individual users and enterprise environments that rely on Huawei mobile devices for business operations. Device reboots caused by this vulnerability can disrupt critical communications and business processes, while arbitrary code execution capabilities provide attackers with persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability's presence in multiple device models and firmware versions creates a substantial attack surface that security professionals must address across various deployment scenarios. Organizations using Huawei devices in sensitive environments face particular risk, as the ability to execute arbitrary code on mobile platforms can lead to data exfiltration, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require specialized knowledge or equipment, making it accessible to threat actors with basic mobile application development skills. This accessibility combined with the widespread deployment of affected devices creates a significant risk landscape that requires immediate attention from security teams. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a direct threat to the integrity and availability of mobile computing platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8088 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Huawei to address the underlying heap overflow conditions in the HIFI driver. System administrators and security teams should implement strict application vetting processes to prevent installation of untrusted applications that could trigger the vulnerability. Network-based monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on applications that interact with audio processing APIs. Device management policies should include mandatory firmware update enforcement and regular security assessments to identify vulnerable platforms. Security awareness training for end users should emphasize the importance of only installing applications from trusted sources and avoiding suspicious downloads. The vulnerability's remediation requires coordinated efforts between device manufacturers, mobile operators, and enterprise security teams to ensure comprehensive protection across all affected platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing mobile device management solutions that can remotely patch vulnerable devices and monitor for exploitation indicators. Given the nature of heap-based buffer overflows, memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention should be enabled where possible to reduce exploitation success rates. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, highlighting the need for comprehensive endpoint protection strategies that address both the immediate threat and potential long-term consequences of exploitation.