CVE-2016-10456 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, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, 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, if radish is executed with an interface name set to an invalid interface name, an arbitrary command of 15 characters or less may be executed as a system call.
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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 with security patches released before April 5th 2018. The flaw resides in the radish component which handles network interface management and allows for command execution through improper input validation. When radish is invoked with an invalid interface name parameter, it fails to properly sanitize the input before executing system calls, creating a privilege escalation vector that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a buffer overflow condition in the command execution mechanism of radish. The system call execution occurs without adequate validation of the interface name parameter, which can be manipulated to inject arbitrary commands of 15 characters or fewer. This represents a classic command injection vulnerability that falls under CWE-77 and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level, allowing attackers to execute privileged commands with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to gain system-level access on affected devices. An attacker could potentially execute malicious commands that could compromise the entire device, install malware, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets including the MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, and numerous SD series processors. This broad chipset compatibility means that a large number of Android devices could be vulnerable, particularly those manufactured by various smartphone and wearable device makers that utilize these Qualcomm components.
Mitigation strategies should focus on applying the latest security patches from device manufacturers, which were released in the April 2018 security update cycle. System administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual command execution patterns and ensure that interface name validation is properly enforced throughout the system. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing input sanitization measures that prevent command injection attacks at the kernel level. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in system-level components and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of mobile chipsets. Organizations should also consider implementing device hardening practices that limit the execution of potentially dangerous commands and establish robust monitoring protocols to detect exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security considerations in mobile platform components and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security measures across all system layers.