CVE-2016-6685 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The kernel in Android before 2016-10-05 on Nexus 6P devices allows attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application, aka internal bug 30402628.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6685 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Android kernel affecting Nexus 6P devices prior to the 2016-10-05 security patch release. This weakness enables malicious applications to extract sensitive system information through carefully crafted payloads, fundamentally undermining the device's security posture and potentially exposing confidential data to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the kernel's handling of specific system calls or memory operations, creating an avenue for privilege escalation and data exfiltration.
Technical analysis reveals that this flaw operates at the kernel level, where the Android operating system's core components fail to properly sanitize or validate input parameters from user-space applications. The vulnerability specifically targets the kernel's memory management subsystem or system call interface, allowing attackers to manipulate kernel data structures or access protected memory regions. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation," and represents a classic example of how kernel-level flaws can be exploited to bypass security boundaries. The attack vector requires a malicious application to be installed on the device, leveraging the kernel's insufficient validation to extract sensitive information from the system's memory or kernel data structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6685 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with potential access to system-level data that could be used for further exploitation or reconnaissance. Attackers could potentially extract kernel memory contents, device identifiers, cryptographic keys, or other sensitive system information that would normally be protected from user-space applications. This vulnerability particularly affects the security model of Android devices, as it allows applications with standard user privileges to access kernel-level information that should remain protected. The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to more severe consequences including full device compromise, persistent backdoor installation, or the ability to bypass other security mechanisms such as SELinux policies or kernel address space layout randomization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6685 primarily focus on applying the vendor-provided security patches released on or after 2016-10-05, which address the kernel-level validation issues. Device administrators should ensure immediate deployment of the Android security update that resolves this vulnerability, as it represents a critical threat to device security. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting the installation of untrusted applications can help prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider monitoring for suspicious application behavior patterns that might indicate attempts to exploit this kernel-level flaw. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1056.001 (Input Injection) and T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation), demonstrating how kernel-level flaws can be leveraged for broader attack objectives. Regular security assessments and kernel integrity monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain device security posture against similar vulnerabilities.