CVE-2016-3892 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The Qualcomm SPMI driver in Android before 2016-09-05 on Nexus 5, 5X, 6, and 6P devices allows attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28760543 and Qualcomm internal bug CR1024197.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3892 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Qualcomm SPMI (Sensor Power Management Interface) driver component of Android operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affects Nexus 5, 5X, 6, and 6P devices running Android versions prior to the security patch released on September 5, 2016. The SPMI driver serves as a critical interface for communication between sensor subsystems and the main processing unit, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to extract sensitive system information. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the driver's implementation, allowing malicious applications to bypass normal security boundaries and access restricted memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a crafted application that leverages improper privilege escalation within the SPMI driver interface. Attackers can manipulate the driver's behavior to read kernel memory locations that should remain protected from user-space applications. This information disclosure vulnerability operates at the kernel level, where the driver fails to properly validate parameters passed from user-space applications before processing them. The flaw essentially creates a pathway for unauthorized memory access that can reveal sensitive data including cryptographic keys, system credentials, and other confidential information stored in kernel memory spaces. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-264, which covers permissions, privileges, and access controls in software systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the sensitive data obtained can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the device ecosystem. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially extract encryption keys used for secure communications, device identifiers, or other system-level information that could facilitate further exploitation. The vulnerability's presence on popular Nexus devices makes it particularly dangerous as these platforms represent widely deployed reference implementations that often influence other manufacturers' security practices. The attack vector requires only a malicious application to be installed on the target device, making it relatively accessible to threat actors and potentially leading to widespread compromise of affected devices.
Security mitigations for CVE-2016-3892 primarily involve applying the official Android security patches released by Google in September 2016. These patches include modifications to the SPMI driver that implement proper input validation and access control mechanisms to prevent unauthorized memory access. System administrators and device users should ensure immediate deployment of these security updates to protect against exploitation. Additional defensive measures include implementing application sandboxing policies that restrict the privileges of potentially malicious applications, monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns, and maintaining comprehensive device inventory to track affected hardware. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel-level security controls and highlights the risks associated with insufficient input validation in critical system drivers. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts, as outlined in the attack techniques described by the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access categories.