CVE-2016-10473 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, 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, in a supplementary services function, a buffer overflow can occur.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10473 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the supplementary services functionality of Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors. This issue affects a wide range of Snapdragon chipsets including the MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, and numerous SD series processors spanning from SD 210 through SDX20. The vulnerability exists in the Android operating system's implementation on these devices, specifically in the supplementary services component that handles various telephony-related functions. This flaw was particularly concerning as it affected devices released before the 2018-04-05 security patch level, leaving millions of mobile devices potentially exposed to exploitation.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs within the supplementary services function, which is part of the telephony subsystem responsible for managing various mobile network services such as call forwarding, caller ID, and other subscriber services. The flaw arises when the system processes certain input data without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to write data beyond the allocated buffer space. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, indicating an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. The attack vector typically involves sending specially crafted telephony signals or manipulating telephony service parameters that trigger the vulnerable code path.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as buffer overflows of this nature can potentially be exploited for privilege escalation and remote code execution. Mobile devices running affected Snapdragon chipsets could be compromised through malicious telephony signals or by manipulating the supplementary services interface. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but represents a widespread risk across multiple generations of Snapdragon processors, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these devices. The exploitation of this flaw could enable attackers to gain elevated privileges within the mobile operating system, potentially leading to complete device compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data stored on the device.
Organizations and device manufacturers should prioritize immediate implementation of the security patches released by Qualcomm and Android as part of the 2018-04-05 security update cycle. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive testing of the security patches in controlled environments before deployment to production devices. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual telephony service patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in telephony subsystems and highlights the need for robust input validation mechanisms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and command and control communications, as attackers could potentially establish persistent access through exploitation of this buffer overflow. Device manufacturers should also conduct thorough security assessments of their telephony service implementations to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the mobile operating system.