CVE-2016-2435 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The NVIDIA video driver in Android before 2016-05-01 on Nexus 9 devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka internal bug 27297988.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2435 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the NVIDIA video driver component of Android operating systems. This issue specifically affected Nexus 9 devices running Android versions prior to the 2016-05-01 security update, creating a significant security gap that adversaries could exploit to elevate their system privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the graphics driver subsystem, which forms part of the broader Android graphics stack that interfaces with hardware acceleration components.
The technical implementation of this privilege escalation vulnerability involves a crafted malicious application that leverages weaknesses in the NVIDIA Tegra graphics driver implementation. Attackers can manipulate memory access patterns or exploit buffer handling inconsistencies within the driver's kernel components to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This flaw operates at the kernel level where graphics processing commands are handled, allowing the malicious application to bypass normal Android security boundaries that typically protect system resources and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive functionality. The vulnerability specifically targets the interaction between user-space applications and kernel-space driver components, creating a pathway for privilege elevation that aligns with common attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with access to sensitive system resources and capabilities that should remain restricted to authorized system processes. Once successfully exploited, the malicious application gains the ability to read and modify protected system files, access secure communication channels, and potentially establish persistent access to the device. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of Android devices by undermining the isolation between user applications and system services, which is a core principle of mobile operating system security architecture. The impact is particularly severe on Nexus 9 devices due to their specific hardware configuration and the integration of NVIDIA Tegra processors that were vulnerable to this particular flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-2435 primarily involve applying the security patches released by Google and NVIDIA as part of the 2016-05-01 Android security update cycle. Organizations and users must ensure that their Nexus 9 devices receive the appropriate firmware and system updates that address the driver-level vulnerabilities. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious application behavior and maintain awareness of the specific attack vectors that exploit this privilege escalation mechanism. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive driver security testing and validation, particularly for hardware components that interface with critical system functions. Security practitioners should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and runtime application control measures to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the graphics driver subsystem. This issue highlights the need for continuous security assessment of hardware-software integration points and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access control weaknesses in software systems, and represents a clear example of how hardware driver components can introduce critical security risks when not properly secured against malicious exploitation attempts.