CVE-2016-10499 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, memory leak may occur in the IPSecurity module when repeating IKE-Rekey.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2020
This vulnerability exists within the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wear platform components affecting Android devices released before the 2018-04-05 security patch level. The issue specifically impacts the IPSecurity module where a memory leak occurs during repeated IKE-Rekey operations, which represents a critical flaw in the network security infrastructure of these devices. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Snapdragon chipsets including MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, and numerous SD series processors spanning from entry-level to high-end mobile platforms. The memory leak condition arises when the Internet Key Exchange rekeying process fails to properly release allocated memory resources, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually compromise system stability and performance.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation scenarios. The flaw occurs during the IKE protocol rekeying phase where cryptographic keys are periodically refreshed to maintain secure communications. When the IPSecurity module processes repeated rekeying requests, it fails to properly free previously allocated memory segments, creating a gradual accumulation of memory leaks that can lead to system instability. This represents a classic memory management error where resources are acquired but not properly released, causing the system to consume increasing amounts of memory over time. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because IKE rekeying is a routine security operation that occurs regularly during active network sessions, meaning the memory leak would compound over time without intervention.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation to potential system compromise and service disruption. As memory consumption increases through repeated IKE rekeying operations, affected devices may experience reduced performance, application crashes, or even complete system freezes. The memory leak could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to perform resource exhaustion attacks, where repeated triggering of the vulnerability could force the device into an unstable state. This vulnerability also affects the overall security posture of devices since compromised memory management could potentially provide attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges or execute unauthorized code. The widespread nature of affected chipsets means that numerous Android devices across different manufacturers and price points could be vulnerable, making this a significant concern for enterprise security and consumer device protection.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize applying the relevant security patches released by Qualcomm and Android vendors, which address the specific memory management issue in the IPSecurity module. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Device administrators should consider implementing network access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious IKE rekeying operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in security-critical components and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.004, which covers the use of system resource manipulation for persistence or evasion. Regular security assessments and firmware updates remain essential to protect against similar memory-related vulnerabilities in embedded security modules, particularly in mobile platforms where resource constraints and security requirements intersect.