CVE-2016-10295 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the Qualcomm LED driver could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-33781694. References: QC-CR#1109326.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2020
This vulnerability resides within the Qualcomm LED driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.18, representing a classic case of insufficient access control that enables unauthorized data exposure. The flaw manifests as an information disclosure vulnerability that allows a local malicious application to bypass normal permission boundaries and access data that should be restricted to higher-privilege processes. The vulnerability requires initial compromise of a privileged process as a prerequisite, which aligns with the moderate severity rating and reflects the layered security model that typically protects system-critical components from direct unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation within the LED driver's kernel module interface, where input parameters are not adequately sanitized or verified before processing. This allows malicious applications to exploit kernel-level entry points through crafted system calls or direct memory access attempts. The issue specifically affects the Qualcomm LED driver implementation, which handles hardware abstraction for LED control functionalities across various Android devices. Attackers can leverage this weakness to extract sensitive information from kernel memory spaces that should normally be protected from user-space applications, potentially exposing device-specific identifiers, configuration parameters, or other privileged data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant security risk for Android devices that rely on Qualcomm hardware components, as it provides a pathway for local privilege escalation and information gathering. The requirement to first compromise a privileged process means that attackers must already have some level of system access or execute a successful initial compromise before exploiting this specific vulnerability. However, once achieved, the information disclosure could enable further attacks including device fingerprinting, extraction of device-specific identifiers, or potential escalation to full system compromise. This aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access techniques.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper kernel module security implementation and access control validation. It highlights how seemingly benign hardware abstraction drivers can become attack vectors when proper input validation and privilege checking mechanisms are absent. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management strategies to address this vulnerability, particularly focusing on kernel-level updates and ensuring that all Qualcomm-based Android devices receive timely security updates. The issue also underscores the need for proper security testing of kernel modules and adherence to security standards such as those outlined in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) catalog, specifically CWE-20 for improper input validation and CWE-250 for execution with insecure privileges. System administrators should monitor for unauthorized applications attempting to access kernel interfaces and implement proper device hardening measures to minimize the attack surface available to local malicious actors.