CVE-2016-10420 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 600, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, and SDX20, while playing back a .flv clip which doesn't have an inbuilt seek table, a dynamic index table access is out of bounds and leads to crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
This vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable chipsets affecting Android devices released before the 2018-04-05 security patch level. The flaw manifests specifically when processing .flv video files that lack an embedded seek table, creating a critical out-of-bounds memory access condition during dynamic index table operations. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where the media playback system attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated bounds of the index table structure. This issue affects a broad range of Snapdragon chipsets including MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, and various SD series processors from SD 210 through SDX20, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's mobile platform portfolio. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, which falls within the broader category of memory safety issues that frequently lead to system instability and potential exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows for arbitrary code execution through a denial-of-service condition that can be triggered remotely via malicious .flv media files. Attackers can craft specially formatted video content that, when played through the affected media framework, will cause the system to access invalid memory addresses and subsequently crash the playback process. This crash condition can potentially be leveraged to execute malicious code within the context of the media playback service, providing attackers with elevated privileges and system access. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1203 for legitimate program execution, as it exploits legitimate media playback functionality to achieve unauthorized system access. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction since simply playing a crafted .flv file triggers the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where users might encounter such files through email attachments, web browsing, or file sharing applications.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment through the Android security update process, ensuring all affected Snapdragon chipsets receive the necessary firmware and system updates. Device manufacturers must prioritize rolling out security patches to users of affected models, particularly those running Android versions prior to the 2018-04-05 patch level. Network administrators should implement content filtering measures to block .flv files from untrusted sources and monitor for suspicious media file downloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper bounds checking in media processing libraries and highlights the need for comprehensive input validation when handling multimedia content. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring to detect anomalous memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts. Security teams must maintain awareness of the affected chipset models and ensure that all devices in their inventory receive appropriate security updates to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of how media processing components can become attack vectors when proper memory safety controls are not implemented, emphasizing the need for regular security assessments of multimedia frameworks and input validation mechanisms.