CVE-2016-2441 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The Qualcomm buspm driver in Android before 2016-05-01 on Nexus 5X, 6, and 6P devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka internal bug 26354602.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2441 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Qualcomm buspm driver component of Android operating systems. This issue specifically affected Nexus 5X, 6, and 6P devices released prior to the 2016-05-01 security update cycle, creating a significant security risk that could be exploited by malicious applications. The vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the kernel-level driver that manages power management functions for the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor architecture. Attackers could leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing the standard Android security model that normally restricts application access to system-level resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how the buspm driver handles input validation and access permissions for power management operations. The driver operates at kernel level with high privileges, yet failed to properly validate parameters passed from user-space applications. This creates an opportunity for privilege escalation through crafted malicious applications that can manipulate driver interfaces to gain root-level access. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-264 weakness category, which encompasses permissions, privileges, and access control issues that allow unauthorized elevation of privileges. The underlying mechanism operates through improper access control checks that should have validated the calling application's permissions before executing sensitive power management functions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to device security as it allows attackers to completely compromise the Android operating system's integrity. Once exploited, the malicious application could access all system resources, modify critical system files, install additional malware, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive user data. The attack vector requires only a single malicious application to be installed and executed, making it particularly dangerous as users might inadvertently download compromised applications from untrusted sources. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially enable large-scale attacks targeting vulnerable populations of Nexus 6 devices that were widely deployed in enterprise and consumer environments. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and demonstrates how kernel-level flaws can be leveraged to achieve system-wide control.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-2441 required immediate deployment of the Android security patch released in May 2016, which addressed the improper access control in the Qualcomm buspm driver. Organizations and users needed to ensure their Nexus 6 devices were updated to the latest security patches before the 2016-05-01 release. The fix implemented proper input validation and access control checks within the driver to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Additionally, security researchers recommended monitoring for suspicious application behavior and maintaining up-to-date device firmware to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability highlighted the critical importance of kernel-level security in mobile operating systems and demonstrated how seemingly minor access control flaws could lead to complete system compromise. The incident underscored the necessity for comprehensive security testing of device drivers and the importance of timely security updates in maintaining mobile device security posture.