CVE-2016-0816 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
mediaserver in Android 6.x before 2016-03-01 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted media file, related to decoder/ih264d_parse_islice.c and decoder/ih264d_parse_pslice.c, aka internal bug 25928803.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0816 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Android mediaserver component affecting versions 6.x released before March 1, 2016. This security weakness resides in the H.264 video decoder implementation specifically within the ih264d_parse_islice.c and ih264d_parse_pslice.c source files, which are part of the Android multimedia framework responsible for processing video content. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the system through carefully crafted media files that trigger memory corruption conditions during video decoding operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the H.264 decoder logic. When the mediaserver processes maliciously formatted video files containing crafted H.264 slices, the decoder fails to properly validate slice headers and data structures, leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. These conditions can result in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the mediaserver process or cause denial of service through system crashes. The vulnerability specifically targets the parsing logic for both I-slices and P-slices in the H.264 video standard, making it particularly dangerous as it affects fundamental video decoding operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, as it provides attackers with potential paths to full system compromise. Since the mediaserver runs with elevated privileges and handles multimedia processing for the entire Android system, successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target device. This presents significant risk for mobile devices where users frequently encounter multimedia content from untrusted sources, including email attachments, web downloads, and messaging applications. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers can trigger the flaw without physical access to the device, making it particularly concerning for mobile security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0816 primarily involve applying the security patches released by Google as part of their regular security updates. Organizations and users should immediately install the Android security patch released on March 1, 2016, which addresses this specific memory corruption issue in the H.264 decoder. Additionally, implementing network-based filtering to block suspicious multimedia content and maintaining up-to-date device firmware can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Security teams should also consider implementing mobile device management policies that enforce automatic security updates and monitor for potential exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis.