CVE-2016-3800 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The MediaTek video driver in Android before 2016-07-05 on Android One devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28175027 and MediaTek internal bug ALPS02693739.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3800 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the MediaTek video driver component of Android operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affected Android devices released before the security patch date of July 5, 2016, with particular impact on Android One devices that utilized MediaTek chipsets. The flaw exists in the kernel-level video driver implementation that processes multimedia content, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious applications to elevate their privileges from standard user-level access to system-level administrative privileges. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the Android security model's privilege separation mechanisms, as the video driver component should operate with restricted permissions while maintaining system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted malicious application that leverages improper input validation within the MediaTek video driver. The flaw stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management practices in the driver's handling of video frame data and related multimedia processing operations. Attackers can construct specially formatted video content or multimedia files that trigger buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption within the driver's kernel space execution environment. This exploitation technique aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing the Android security sandbox and gaining complete control over the affected device's operating system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete device compromise and potential data exfiltration capabilities. Once successfully exploited, the malicious application can access all system resources, modify critical system files, install persistent backdoors, and extract sensitive user data including personal information, credentials, and encrypted communications. The vulnerability affects not only individual user privacy but also creates potential attack vectors for broader network infiltration, as compromised devices can serve as entry points for larger-scale attacks. This type of vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," and T1059, covering "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as attackers can establish persistent access and execute commands with elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-3800 primarily focus on timely security patch deployment and system updates to address the underlying driver implementation flaws. Device manufacturers and carriers should prioritize immediate deployment of Android security patches released by Google and MediaTek, ensuring that all affected Android One devices receive the necessary updates to close this privilege escalation pathway. System administrators and security teams should implement proactive monitoring for any suspicious application behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potentially compromised devices within their networks. The remediation process involves updating the MediaTek video driver components to versions that properly validate input parameters and implement robust memory management practices, effectively closing the exploit vector that allows attackers to gain unauthorized system-level access through crafted multimedia applications.