CVE-2016-4547 in Device
Summary
by MITRE
Samsung devices with Android KK(4.4), L(5.0/5.1), or M(6.0) allow attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) via a crafted system call to TvoutService_C.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4547 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Samsung mobile devices running Android versions 4.4 KitKat, 5.0 Lollipop, and 5.1 Lollipop, as well as Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This vulnerability specifically targets the TvoutService_C component within the Android system framework, which handles television output functionality for connected devices. The flaw enables malicious actors to trigger system instability through the exploitation of improperly validated system calls, potentially causing complete system crashes and rendering affected devices unusable until manual reboot occurs.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the TvoutService_C service implementation. When a crafted system call is submitted to this service, the underlying code fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming parameters before processing them. This lack of proper validation creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the service behavior in ways that were not anticipated by the original design. The vulnerability manifests as a buffer overflow condition or invalid memory access pattern that leads to kernel-level crashes, which propagate up through the Android framework to cause complete system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Samsung device users across multiple Android versions, affecting a substantial portion of the mobile device market during the affected periods. The exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers could potentially cause system crashes without requiring elevated privileges or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it could be leveraged in automated attacks or social engineering campaigns. The impact extends beyond simple inconvenience as system crashes can lead to data loss, interruption of critical communications, and potential security implications when devices become temporarily inaccessible.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in system services. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, specifically targeting system service availability through denial of service mechanisms. The affected Samsung devices include various models from the Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, and other smartphone lines that were popular during the time these Android versions were prevalent. Organizations and individuals using these devices face potential operational disruptions and security risks that necessitate immediate attention and remediation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on applying the official security patches released by Samsung and Google, which typically include enhanced input validation mechanisms and proper error handling within the TvoutService_C component. Device administrators should prioritize updating all affected Samsung devices to the latest available security patches, particularly for those operating on Android 5.0, 5.1, and 6.0 versions. Network security teams should monitor for potential exploitation attempts and implement network-level controls to prevent unauthorized access to vulnerable systems. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of installing untrusted applications that may attempt to exploit such vulnerabilities, as third-party applications could potentially leverage similar attack vectors to compromise system stability.