CVE-2015-8938 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The MSM camera driver in the Qualcomm components in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 6 devices does not validate input parameters, which allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28804030 and Qualcomm internal bug CR766022.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8938 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the MSM camera driver component of Qualcomm's Android implementation. This issue specifically affects Nexus 6 devices running Android versions prior to the 2016-08-05 security patch release, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries could exploit to elevate their privileges from standard application level access to system-level administrative capabilities. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input parameter validation within the camera driver's kernel space implementation, which fails to properly sanitize or verify the legitimacy of data passed to critical driver functions.
The technical flaw manifests in the MSM camera driver's failure to implement proper input validation mechanisms when processing commands from user-space applications. This lack of validation creates a classic buffer overflow condition and memory corruption vulnerability that attackers can leverage through carefully crafted malicious applications. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where privilege escalation opportunities exist, allowing attackers to manipulate driver state and potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw is categorized under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation issue, where the system fails to properly validate the range, type, or length of input data before processing it. This weakness directly enables attackers to craft malicious input that can bypass normal access controls and system protections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential full system compromise and persistent access. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain root-level access to devices, enabling them to install malicious applications, modify system files, access sensitive user data, and establish persistent backdoors. The attack vector requires only a malicious application to be installed on the target device, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through legitimate app stores or social engineering techniques. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of Android devices by undermining the kernel-level protection mechanisms that are designed to isolate user applications from system resources and prevent unauthorized access to critical system functions.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8938 primarily focus on applying the official Android security patches released by Google and Qualcomm, which include proper input validation mechanisms and kernel space fixes for the MSM camera driver. Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment across all affected Nexus 6 devices and implement robust application vetting processes to prevent installation of untrusted applications. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing mobile device management solutions that can monitor for suspicious application behavior and enforce security policies that limit application privileges. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local exploits, highlights the need for comprehensive endpoint protection and monitoring solutions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Network-level defenses should also be enhanced to monitor for potential exploitation indicators and implement application control policies that restrict access to known vulnerable components.