CVE-2016-10450 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Small Cell SoC, Snapdragon Mobile, and Snapdragon Wear FSM9055, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, and SDX20, potential stack-based buffer overflow exist in thermal service leading to root compromise.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
This vulnerability resides within the thermal service component of Qualcomm-based Android devices, representing a critical stack-based buffer overflow that can be exploited to achieve root compromise. The flaw exists in multiple Snapdragon SoC families including FSM9055, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, and various SD series processors. The vulnerability manifests when the thermal service processes untrusted input data without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to overflow a stack buffer and potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This represents a severe security weakness that directly impacts the foundational security architecture of affected devices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic stack buffer overflow pattern where insufficient input validation allows an attacker to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The thermal service component typically handles temperature monitoring and system cooling mechanisms, making it a critical system service that runs with elevated privileges. When exploited, this vulnerability can enable attackers to gain root access to the device, effectively bypassing all security controls and allowing full system compromise. The vulnerability affects devices running Android versions prior to the 2018-04-05 security patch level, indicating that the flaw was present for an extended period without proper mitigation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with complete control over affected devices. Once exploited, adversaries can install malicious applications, access all user data, modify system configurations, and potentially create persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's exploitation can occur through various attack vectors including malicious applications, compromised network communications, or physical access to devices. The widespread nature of affected Snapdragon SoC families means that millions of devices could be potentially compromised, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise and consumer environments. The root compromise capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the entire device security model.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of the security patches released by Qualcomm and device manufacturers. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected devices to the latest security patch levels, particularly those running Android versions prior to 2018-04-05. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for compromised devices. Device manufacturers should conduct thorough security assessments of their thermal management services and implement proper input validation controls. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow and maps to ATT&CK technique T1068 for privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security hardening measures across the entire device ecosystem. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other system components that may present similar attack surfaces.