CVE-2016-3847 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The NVIDIA media driver in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 9 devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka internal bug 28871433.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3847 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the NVIDIA media driver component of Android operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affected Nexus 9 devices and persisted in Android versions prior to the 2016-08-05 security update. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the media driver subsystem, which processes multimedia content and handles hardware acceleration operations. The flaw allows a malicious application to exploit kernel-level components and elevate its privileges from user-level to system-level execution, bypassing normal security boundaries that protect the Android operating system from unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow or improper memory management issue within the NVIDIA media driver's handling of specific multimedia operations. Attackers can craft malicious applications that trigger the vulnerable code path through carefully constructed media processing requests or hardware acceleration calls. This flaw operates at the kernel level where the driver executes with elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any application with basic user permissions. The vulnerability demonstrates poor adherence to secure coding practices and lacks proper bounds checking mechanisms that would normally prevent such exploitation scenarios. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119: Improper Access to Memory Location, specifically involving buffer overflows and memory corruption issues.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3847 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain complete control over affected devices. Once successfully exploited, adversaries can access sensitive system resources, modify system files, install malicious applications, and potentially exfiltrate confidential data. The vulnerability affects the core multimedia processing capabilities of Nexus 9 devices, which could be leveraged for persistent surveillance or data theft operations. The exploitation requires only a crafted application installation, making it particularly concerning as it can be delivered through standard app distribution channels or social engineering tactics. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where adversaries use software vulnerabilities to gain higher-level permissions within the target system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on applying the security patch released by Google and NVIDIA in their respective security updates. Device owners must ensure their Nexus 9 devices receive the Android security update from 2016-08-05, which includes fixes to the media driver component. System administrators should implement proactive monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain up-to-date device firmware. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure driver development practices and regular security assessments of kernel-level components. Organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications that could potentially exploit such vulnerabilities. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect suspicious media processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability specifically targets media driver functionalities that are commonly used in legitimate applications.