CVE-2015-8089 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
The GPU driver in Huawei P7 phones with software P7-L00 before P7-L00C17B851, P7-L05 before P7-L05C00B851, and P7-L09 before P7-L09C92B851 allows local users to read or write to arbitrary kernel memory locations and consequently cause a denial of service (system crash) or gain privileges via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8089 represents a critical security flaw within the graphics processing unit driver of Huawei P7 smartphone models. This issue affects multiple variants including P7-L00, P7-L05, and P7-L09 device families with specific software versions prior to the mentioned patches. The flaw resides in the kernel-level GPU driver implementation which fails to properly validate memory access permissions, creating a dangerous privilege escalation vector that could be exploited by malicious applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory protection mechanisms within the GPU driver subsystem. Attackers can craft specially designed applications that manipulate the graphics driver to perform unauthorized read and write operations against arbitrary kernel memory locations. This type of flaw typically falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which encompasses out-of-bounds read conditions that allow attackers to access memory regions they should not be permitted to access. The vulnerability enables local privilege escalation by allowing a malicious application to bypass kernel memory protection mechanisms and directly interact with sensitive kernel structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to encompass serious security implications. Local users can leverage this flaw to cause system crashes and denial of service conditions, effectively rendering the device unusable. More critically, the ability to read and write arbitrary kernel memory locations provides attackers with the capability to escalate privileges and potentially gain full system control. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes privilege escalation through kernel exploits, and represents a significant risk to device integrity and user data security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from Huawei to address the kernel driver implementation issues. Users should ensure their devices are updated to the latest software versions that include patches for this specific vulnerability. System administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious application behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around graphics driver access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel memory protection and input validation in mobile device security architectures, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing of all device drivers before deployment. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent potentially malicious applications from running on affected devices until proper patches are applied.