CVE-2016-10493 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Automobile, Snapdragon Mobile, and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20, NPA routines on the rootPD that handle resource requests remoted over QDI may not validate pointers passed from user space which may result in guest OS memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
This vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive and mobile platforms running Android versions prior to the 2018-04-05 security patch level. The issue resides in the NPA (Network Processing Accelerator) routines within the rootPD (root Power Domain) component that manage resource requests transmitted via QDI (Qualcomm Data Interface) from user space. The fundamental flaw occurs when these routines process pointer values received from untrusted user space contexts without proper validation mechanisms. This pointer validation failure creates a critical memory corruption vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the kernel-level NPA subsystem. When user space applications submit resource requests through QDI interfaces, the rootPD routines fail to verify the legitimacy of pointer addresses before dereferencing them. This design flaw allows attackers to craft malicious pointer values that can overwrite arbitrary memory locations within the guest operating system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level within the hypervisor context, providing attackers with elevated privileges and potential access to sensitive system resources. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in pointer validation (CWE-467) combined with improper input validation (CWE-20) that leads to memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical memory corruption scenarios due to the automotive and mobile device contexts where these platforms are deployed. Attackers could potentially exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to vehicle systems, manipulate critical automotive functions, or compromise device security. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets including MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, and various MSM8909W, SD series processors, indicating the widespread nature of the issue across multiple product lines. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation (T1068) and defense evasion (T1070) techniques, as exploitation could enable persistent access and system manipulation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on applying the vendor-provided security patches released in the 2018-04-05 update cycle, which include proper pointer validation mechanisms within the NPA routines. Organizations should also implement runtime monitoring to detect anomalous pointer usage patterns and consider network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. System administrators should ensure that all affected devices receive immediate firmware updates and that security policies are updated to address the increased attack surface. Additionally, implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all external inputs in kernel-level code and highlights the need for robust security testing of hypervisor components in automotive and mobile environments.