CVE-2016-5872 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, arguments to several QTEE syscalls are not properly validated.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5872 represents a critical security flaw in Qualcomm's implementation of the Linux kernel within Android devices that utilize the Code Aurora Forum's (CAF) software stack. This issue affects a broad range of mobile devices manufactured by Qualcomm and their associated Android implementations, creating a widespread potential attack surface across numerous consumer and enterprise mobile platforms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation of arguments passed to several Qualcomm TrustZone Execution Environment (QTEE) system calls. These syscalls serve as the interface between the rich execution environment and the secure world of the TrustZone architecture, which is designed to provide hardware-level security isolation for sensitive operations. The lack of proper input validation creates opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate syscall parameters, potentially leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized access to secure processing capabilities.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes devices to several attack vectors that could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of secure operations. The QTEE system calls typically handle sensitive functions including cryptographic operations, secure key storage, and trusted application management. When arguments are not properly validated, attackers can potentially exploit these interfaces to execute arbitrary code within the secure world, bypass hardware security mechanisms, or gain elevated privileges that should remain restricted to trusted system components.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-707, which specifically addresses "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation," though in this case the issue manifests within kernel-level system calls rather than web contexts. This flaw can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," as the improper validation creates opportunities for attackers to leverage these interfaces to gain higher system privileges. Additionally, the vulnerability may enable techniques from T1547, "Process Injection,' and T1059, 'Command and Scripting Interpreter,' as attackers could potentially manipulate the secure execution environment to execute malicious code.
Security researchers have documented that this vulnerability affects multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor generations and various Android versions that incorporate CAF's kernel modifications. The exploitation typically requires local access to the device or a method to execute malicious code that can trigger the vulnerable syscalls, making it particularly concerning for devices that lack robust security measures or are used in enterprise environments where device compromise could lead to data breaches or lateral movement within networks. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing additional monitoring for suspicious syscall patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.