CVE-2015-8679 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) ION and (2) Maxim_smartpa_dev drivers in Huawei P8 smartphones with software GRA-TL00 before GRA-TL00C01B230, GRA-CL00 before GRA-CL00C92B230, GRA-CL10 before GRA-CL10C92B230, GRA-UL00 before GRA-UL00C00B230, and GRA-UL10 before GRA-UL10C00B230 and Mate S smartphones with software CRR-TL00 before CRR-TL00C01B160SP01, CRR-UL00 before CRR-UL00C00B160, and CRR-CL00 before CRR-CL00C92B161 allow attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) via a crafted application, which triggers an invalid memory access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8679 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting Huawei P8 smartphones and Mate S devices running specific software versions. This flaw exists within two kernel-level drivers namely ION and Maxim_smartpa_dev which are responsible for memory management and audio device control respectively. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory access controls within these drivers, creating a pathway for malicious applications to exploit the system's memory management subsystem. The affected software versions include various GRA-TL00, GRA-CL00, GRA-CL10, GRA-UL00, GRA-UL10 for P8 devices and CRR-TL00, CRR-UL00, CRR-CL00 for Mate S devices, all prior to their respective patched builds.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the execution of a crafted application that deliberately triggers invalid memory access patterns within the affected drivers. When such an application is executed, it causes the kernel to attempt accessing memory locations that are either unmapped, protected, or otherwise invalid, leading to a system crash or complete denial of service condition. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-125: Uninitialized Memory Read and CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, representing fundamental memory safety issues that can be leveraged for system compromise. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires only a malicious application to be installed and executed, making it accessible to threat actors without requiring physical access or advanced exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt device functionality at critical moments. For mobile devices, this can result in complete system shutdowns that may be exploited for more sophisticated attacks or simply to render the device unusable. The vulnerability affects the core operating system functionality since it operates at the kernel level within the device's memory management subsystem. From an attacker perspective, this represents a low-hanging fruit vulnerability that can be exploited to create persistent denial of service conditions, potentially leading to more complex attack chains. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001: Network Denial of Service, as it can be used to compromise system availability through kernel-level memory corruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate software updates and patches from Huawei to address the memory access validation issues in the affected drivers. Users should ensure their devices are running the latest firmware versions that contain the necessary security fixes. System administrators and security professionals should monitor for any malicious applications that might exploit this vulnerability and implement application control measures to prevent installation of untrusted code. The fix typically involves implementing proper bounds checking and memory validation routines within the kernel drivers to prevent invalid memory access patterns. Additionally, device manufacturers should implement robust input validation and memory management practices during the development lifecycle to prevent similar issues from occurring in future releases, following security best practices established by standards such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.