CVE-2016-3858 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in drivers/soc/qcom/subsystem_restart.c in the Qualcomm subsystem driver in Android before 2016-09-05 on Nexus 5X and 6P devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application that provides a long string, aka Android internal bug 28675151 and Qualcomm internal bug CR1022641.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3858 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Qualcomm subsystem driver component of Android operating systems. This issue specifically affects devices in the Nexus 5X and 6P product lines and was disclosed in the Android security bulletin released on September 5, 2016. The vulnerability resides in the drivers/soc/qcom/subsystem_restart.c file, which handles subsystem restart functionality for Qualcomm-based devices. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by crafting malicious applications that provide excessively long string inputs to the vulnerable driver interface.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when the subsystem restart driver fails to properly validate input string lengths before processing them within fixed-size buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow or injecting malicious code. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level within the Qualcomm subsystem driver, which is responsible for managing critical device components and subsystem restart operations. When exploited, this flaw can lead to privilege escalation from regular application context to kernel-level privileges, enabling complete system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3858 extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it affects the fundamental security model of Qualcomm-based Android devices. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass security mechanisms that protect against unauthorized access to system resources, potentially gaining access to sensitive user data, modifying system files, or installing persistent malware. The vulnerability affects devices running Android versions prior to the September 2016 security patch, making a significant portion of the Nexus 5X and 6P user base susceptible to exploitation. The attack vector requires only a crafted application, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through standard app distribution channels without requiring physical access or specialized attack infrastructure.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the Android security patch released on September 5, 2016, which includes proper input validation and bounds checking in the affected subsystem driver. Organizations should also implement application whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications that could exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that enables privilege escalation attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be used to establish persistent access to affected devices. Additionally, the issue demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in kernel-level drivers and highlights the potential for supply chain vulnerabilities to affect end-user devices through hardware vendor components.