CVE-2015-8223 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei P7 before P7-L00C17B851, P7-L05C00B851, and P7-L09C92B85, and P8 ALE-UL00 before ALE-UL00B211 allows local users to cause a denial of service (OS crash) by leveraging camera permissions and via crafted input to the camera driver.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8223 affects Huawei P7 and P8 devices running specific firmware versions, representing a critical local privilege escalation issue within the camera driver component. This flaw enables malicious actors with camera permission access to manipulate the device's operating system through carefully crafted input sequences that ultimately result in system crashes and denial of service conditions. The vulnerability exists at the kernel level within the camera driver subsystem, making it particularly dangerous as it operates below the application layer where typical security controls are implemented. The affected devices include various P7 model variants with firmware revisions below specific build numbers and the P8 ALE-UL00 model before version ALE-UL00B211, indicating a widespread issue across Huawei's smartphone lineup from that era.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a local user with camera permissions submits malformed or crafted input data to the camera driver interface. This input manipulation triggers a buffer overflow or memory corruption condition within the driver's processing routines, causing the operating system to become unstable and subsequently crash. The attack vector is considered local since it requires the attacker to already possess camera permissions, which are typically granted to legitimate applications during normal device operation. However, the vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple application-level failures as the kernel-level nature of the camera driver means that system-wide stability is compromised, potentially affecting other device functions and services. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in kernel drivers.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8223 creates significant security concerns for Huawei smartphone users, as it allows attackers to remotely disrupt device functionality without requiring physical access or complex attack chains. The denial of service condition can be triggered repeatedly, potentially rendering the device unusable until a reboot occurs, which may be inconvenient for users in critical situations. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks of insufficient input validation in system-level components, particularly in mobile operating systems where camera functionality is frequently accessed by multiple applications. The attack scenario suggests that even legitimate applications with camera permissions could be exploited to cause system instability, raising concerns about the broader security model of mobile platforms. This vulnerability type also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which describes the use of command and control channels, though in this case the technique manifests as system-level exploitation rather than network-based command execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8223 primarily involve firmware updates from Huawei that address the camera driver implementation issues through proper input validation and memory management controls. Users should immediately update their devices to the latest available firmware versions that contain patches for this vulnerability, particularly those released after the initial security disclosure. Device administrators should also implement strict application permission controls, limiting camera access to only trusted applications and monitoring for suspicious behavior patterns. Network security teams should be aware of this vulnerability when conducting mobile device assessments and include it in their vulnerability management frameworks. The remediation approach should also involve monitoring for potential exploitation attempts through log analysis, as the system crash patterns associated with this vulnerability may be detectable through abnormal process termination or kernel panic logs. Organizations deploying Huawei devices should consider implementing mobile device management policies that enforce automatic firmware updates and restrict access to potentially vulnerable system components.