CVE-2016-6192 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Wi-Fi driver in Huawei P8 smartphones with software before GRA-CL00C92B363 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) or gain privileges via a crafted application, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-6193.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6192 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Wi-Fi driver component of Huawei P8 smartphones running software versions prior to GRA-CL00C92B363. This issue specifically targets the wireless communication stack of these mobile devices, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit fundamental memory management weaknesses in the operating system's network subsystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with embedded driver code that fails to properly validate input data before processing it within fixed-size memory buffers.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs within the Wi-Fi driver's handling of network packets or configuration data transmitted through the wireless interface. When a malicious application crafts specific input parameters that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries, the overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations and potentially overwrites critical system structures including return addresses, function pointers, or privilege levels. This memory corruption directly enables attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the driver process, effectively bypassing normal security controls that protect system integrity. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the Android operating system, making it particularly dangerous as it can elevate privileges from user-space applications to system-level access.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6192 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause spontaneous system crashes that result in complete device downtime, but more critically, they can execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This privilege escalation capability allows malicious actors to install persistent backdoors, modify system files, access encrypted data, or even disable security features that protect the device from further exploitation. The vulnerability affects a specific generation of Huawei mobile devices and represents a significant concern for users who have not updated their firmware to the patched version GRA-CL00C92B363.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The attack vector described in the CVE matches techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the tactic of privilege escalation and defense evasion. The vulnerability's classification as a driver-level exploit places it within the domain of operating system kernel exploits that are particularly challenging to detect and mitigate. Organizations and individual users must understand that such vulnerabilities can be exploited through seemingly benign applications that appear to be legitimate software but contain malicious code designed to trigger the buffer overflow condition.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6192 require immediate firmware updates to the patched version GRA-CL00C92B363 or later, which addresses the memory handling issues in the Wi-Fi driver component. Users should also implement application whitelisting policies that prevent installation of untrusted applications that might contain the malicious payloads designed to trigger this vulnerability. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts and maintain robust incident response procedures to address potential compromise scenarios. Additionally, regular security assessments of mobile device fleets should include verification of firmware versions and patch status to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other device components or operating system versions.