CVE-2016-3820 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The ih264d decoder in mediaserver in Android 6.x before 2016-08-01 mishandles slice numbers, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted media file, aka internal bug 28673410.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2019
The ih264d decoder component within the mediaserver process of android 6.x operating systems through version 2016-08-01 contains a critical vulnerability that stems from improper handling of slice numbers during h.264 video decoding operations. This flaw exists within the multimedia framework that processes video content, specifically affecting the hardware-accelerated video decoding functionality that utilizes the ih264d decoder. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs when the decoder fails to properly validate or constrain slice number values during the parsing of h.264 encoded video streams. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed media files that contain malformed slice number data, which when processed by the vulnerable decoder triggers memory corruption conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the decoder's failure to properly validate the slice number parameters within h.264 video frames, particularly when processing inter-frame coding elements that reference previous frames. When the decoder encounters slice numbers that exceed expected boundaries or fall outside valid ranges, it proceeds with memory operations that overwrite adjacent memory regions or corrupt heap structures. This improper validation creates a path for arbitrary code execution when malicious slice data causes the decoder to jump to unintended memory locations or when the corruption leads to stack-based buffer overflows. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the mediaserver process, which runs with elevated privileges and has access to system resources and memory spaces that could be leveraged for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to include full system compromise capabilities for remote attackers. Since the mediaserver process handles multimedia processing for the entire system, exploitation can occur through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or media file sharing applications. The memory corruption can result in unpredictable system behavior ranging from application crashes to complete system reboots, but more critically, it enables attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the mediaserver process. This privilege escalation capability allows adversaries to bypass standard security controls and potentially gain root access to the device, making it a severe concern for mobile device security. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumeration cw0000000000000000000000000000000