CVE-2016-10497 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, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, 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, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20, improper CFG allocation can cause heap leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
This vulnerability resides in the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable chipsets affecting Android devices released before the 2018-04-05 security patch level. The issue manifests as an improper control flow graph (CFG) allocation that results in heap memory leaks within the system's memory management subsystem. The vulnerability specifically impacts a wide range of Snapdragon processors including the MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, 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, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20 platforms. The flaw represents a memory management error that allows unauthorized access to heap memory structures through improper control flow handling. This vulnerability falls under CWE-476 which describes null pointer dereference conditions, though specifically manifests as heap corruption through CFG allocation issues. The technical implementation involves the kernel-level memory management components that handle control flow graph structures for processor optimization and security enforcement. When the system processes certain memory allocation requests, the CFG management code fails to properly validate or allocate control flow information, leading to memory leaks that can be exploited by malicious actors. The operational impact extends beyond simple memory consumption as heap leaks can lead to system instability, performance degradation, and potential privilege escalation opportunities. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to exhaust system memory resources or potentially manipulate heap structures to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or system resources. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical weakness in the Snapdragon chipset's memory management architecture and represents a significant concern for device security. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) techniques, as it provides a pathway for attackers to manipulate system memory and potentially escalate privileges. The exploitation requires a malicious application or system-level attack that can trigger the improper CFG allocation during normal system operation. Mitigation strategies include applying the relevant security patches released by Qualcomm and Android, implementing memory monitoring systems to detect heap anomalies, and deploying application sandboxing to limit potential exploitation. Additionally, device manufacturers should ensure proper firmware updates are applied and consider implementing memory integrity checks to prevent unauthorized heap modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management in mobile processor architectures and demonstrates how low-level system components can create significant security risks when not properly validated. This issue represents a classic case of insufficient input validation in kernel memory management functions, where the failure to properly handle control flow graph allocation creates persistent memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited over time.