CVE-2016-10319 in Trusted Firmware
Summary
by MITRE
In ARM Trusted Firmware 1.2 and 1.3, a malformed firmware update SMC can result in copying unexpectedly large data into secure memory because of integer overflows. This affects certain cases involving execution of both AArch64 Generic Trusted Firmware (TF) BL1 code and other firmware update code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10319 resides within ARM Trusted Firmware versions 1.2 and 1.3, representing a critical security flaw that compromises the integrity of secure memory operations during firmware updates. This issue manifests through malformed firmware update SMC (Secure Monitor Call) instructions that trigger unexpected data copying behaviors, creating a pathway for potential exploitation that directly impacts the Trusted Execution Environment's security posture.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from integer overflow conditions within the firmware update processing logic, specifically affecting the AArch64 Generic Trusted Firmware BL1 code execution. When malformed SMC calls are processed, the firmware fails to properly validate or constrain the size parameters associated with data transfers, leading to scenarios where unexpectedly large amounts of data are copied into secure memory regions. This overflow condition occurs during the firmware update execution phase, where the system's memory management routines do not adequately protect against maliciously crafted data sizes that exceed normal operational parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it fundamentally undermines the security boundaries that the Trusted Firmware is designed to maintain. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to overwrite critical secure memory areas, manipulate firmware state, or even execute arbitrary code within the secure world environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the BL1 stage of firmware execution, which represents one of the most critical components in the boot process where trust is first established and security policies are enforced. This makes the exploitation particularly dangerous as it could potentially compromise the entire system's security architecture before normal security mechanisms are fully operational.
The implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-190, which addresses integer overflow conditions that can lead to unexpected behavior in memory management operations. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps directly to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059 category for system execution and T1068 for additional privileges, as successful exploitation would allow for privilege escalation and code execution within the secure environment. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of how insufficient input validation in low-level firmware components can create persistent security weaknesses that affect the entire system trust model.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper integer overflow protections within the firmware update processing code, particularly around parameter validation for data transfer sizes during SMC execution. The firmware should enforce strict bounds checking on all memory copy operations and implement robust input validation mechanisms that prevent maliciously large data transfers from being processed. Additionally, system architects should consider implementing memory protection mechanisms that can detect and prevent unauthorized memory modifications during firmware update operations. Regular firmware updates and security patches should be prioritized to address this vulnerability, as the flaw exists in widely deployed firmware versions that may be present in numerous embedded systems and mobile devices that rely on ARM-based trusted execution environments for security operations.