CVE-2016-3798 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The MediaTek hardware sensor driver in Android before 2016-07-05 on Android One devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28174490 and MediaTek internal bug ALPS02703105.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3798 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the MediaTek hardware sensor driver component of Android operating systems. This issue specifically affected Android One devices and persisted in versions prior to the 2016-07-05 security update. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and access control mechanisms within the sensor driver implementation, creating a pathway for malicious applications to elevate their privileges beyond normal operational boundaries. The flaw was particularly concerning as it leveraged the underlying hardware sensor infrastructure to execute unauthorized privilege escalation attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how the MediaTek sensor driver handles specific input parameters and system calls. When a crafted application attempts to interact with the sensor driver through improper parameter manipulation, the driver fails to properly validate the incoming data, allowing attackers to manipulate kernel-level operations. This weakness enables malicious applications to execute code with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing the standard Android security model that separates user-space applications from system-level operations. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially allow attackers to gain root access to the device and execute arbitrary code with complete system control.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability posed significant risks to Android One device users who were running affected versions of the operating system. The privilege escalation capability meant that attackers could potentially gain complete control over affected devices, enabling them to access sensitive user data, install malicious applications, modify system files, and potentially create persistent backdoors. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it could be exploited through seemingly legitimate applications, making detection difficult for users and security systems. The flaw affected a substantial portion of Android One devices that were still running vulnerable software versions, creating a large attack surface for threat actors.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-3798 required immediate deployment of the Android security patch released on 2016-07-05, which addressed the privilege escalation vulnerability in the MediaTek sensor driver. Device manufacturers and carriers needed to expedite the rollout of this update to affected Android One devices. Additionally, users were advised to ensure their devices were updated to the latest security patches, and organizations implementing mobile device management policies needed to verify that affected devices were properly patched. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of a kernel-level privilege escalation vulnerability. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could be leveraged to achieve persistence and lateral movement within compromised environments. The remediation process required careful coordination between device manufacturers, Google, and carriers to ensure comprehensive coverage of affected devices, as the vulnerability could be exploited to gain root access to the entire device ecosystem.