CVE-2016-2065 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
sound/soc/msm/qdsp6v2/msm-audio-effects-q6-v2.c in the MSM QDSP6 audio driver for the Linux kernel 3.x, as used in Qualcomm Innovation Center (QuIC) Android contributions for MSM devices and other products, allows attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted application that makes an ioctl call triggering incorrect use of a parameters pointer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2065 resides within the MSM QDSP6 audio driver component of the Linux kernel version 3.x series, specifically in the msm-audio-effects-q6-v2.c file. This driver serves as a critical interface for audio processing on Qualcomm MSM devices, particularly those utilizing the QDSP6 audio subsystem. The flaw manifests when a malicious application executes a crafted ioctl call that manipulates parameter pointers incorrectly, leading to potentially severe system consequences. The vulnerability affects Qualcomm Innovation Center (QuIC) Android contributions for MSM devices and extends to various other products leveraging this kernel component, making it particularly widespread in mobile device ecosystems where Qualcomm processors are prevalent.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of parameter pointers within the ioctl handling mechanism of the audio driver. When a crafted application invokes the ioctl function, it can manipulate the parameters pointer in such a way that the driver performs an out-of-bounds write operation. This memory corruption occurs because the driver fails to properly validate the bounds of the parameter data structure before attempting to write to memory locations beyond the allocated buffer. The flaw is classified as a buffer overflow condition that can result in unpredictable behavior, system instability, and potential privilege escalation opportunities. According to CWE standards, this represents a CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability, which falls under the broader category of memory safety issues. The improper handling of user-supplied data in kernel space creates a direct pathway for attackers to corrupt kernel memory structures and potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2065 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential system compromise and data integrity violations. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can trigger a denial of service by causing the audio subsystem to crash or by corrupting critical kernel memory structures that may affect overall system stability. The memory corruption aspect introduces additional risks as it can lead to unpredictable system behavior, application crashes, or even complete system hangs. In more severe scenarios, the vulnerability may enable privilege escalation attacks where malicious applications could gain elevated privileges within the kernel space, potentially allowing for full system compromise. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, as the kernel-level memory corruption can be leveraged to elevate user-level processes to kernel-level privileges. Furthermore, the vulnerability's impact on audio subsystem functionality can disrupt normal device operations, affecting communication capabilities and multimedia performance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-2065 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the relevant kernel patches provided by Qualcomm and the Linux kernel community, which typically include proper bounds checking and parameter validation mechanisms. System administrators should ensure that all affected devices receive timely security updates, particularly those running vulnerable kernel versions. Additionally, implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and kernel address space layout randomization can help mitigate exploitation attempts. Device manufacturers should consider implementing stricter input validation within their custom audio driver implementations and conduct thorough security reviews of kernel components before deployment. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices in kernel development, particularly around parameter validation and memory management. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous ioctl calls that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular security assessments of their embedded systems to identify similar vulnerabilities in other kernel subsystems.