CVE-2016-6688 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
The NVIDIA profiler in Android before 2016-10-05 on Nexus 9 devices allows attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application, aka internal bug 30593080.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6688 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the NVIDIA profiler component of Android systems, specifically affecting Nexus 9 devices prior to the security patch released on October 5, 2016. This vulnerability resides in the Android operating system's profiling infrastructure and demonstrates a significant weakness in the privilege separation mechanisms that should protect sensitive system information from unauthorized access. The issue stems from inadequate access controls within the profiler service that allows malicious applications to exploit kernel-level interfaces and extract confidential data that should remain restricted to system-level processes. The vulnerability operates through a crafted application that leverages improper input validation and insufficient privilege checks within the NVIDIA profiling subsystem, creating an attack vector that bypasses normal security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of a privilege escalation pathway within the Android kernel's NVIDIA profiler module. Attackers can craft malicious applications that manipulate the profiler interface to access memory regions and system information that should be protected from user-space applications. This flaw specifically targets the kernel-level profiling mechanisms that are designed to monitor and analyze application performance, but which fail to properly validate the privileges of requesting processes. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious application attempts to query or access profiling data structures that contain sensitive information about other processes, system memory mappings, or kernel internals. The underlying cause aligns with CWE-200, which describes improper information exposure, and CWE-264, addressing permissions, privileges, and access controls in software systems. The exploitation requires minimal privileges but achieves significant information disclosure that can be leveraged for further attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6688 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the sensitive data obtained through this vulnerability can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. The extracted information may include process memory addresses, kernel data structures, and system configuration details that can be used for privilege escalation, bypassing of security mechanisms, or crafting targeted attacks against other system components. This vulnerability particularly affects the security posture of Nexus 9 devices, which were widely deployed and represented a significant portion of Android devices at the time of the vulnerability's disclosure. The exposure of profiling data could reveal patterns in system behavior that attackers might exploit to predict or manipulate system responses, potentially enabling more advanced persistent threats. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the Android platform's core profiling infrastructure, which is integral to system monitoring and debugging capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6688 primarily involve applying the security patches released by Google and NVIDIA to address the privilege escalation within the profiler subsystem. System administrators should ensure that all Nexus 9 devices receive the October 2016 security update that resolves this vulnerability by implementing proper access controls and privilege validation within the NVIDIA profiling interface. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent the installation and execution of untrusted applications that could exploit this vulnerability. The fix typically involves strengthening the kernel-level access controls that govern interactions with the profiler service, ensuring that only properly authenticated and privileged processes can access sensitive profiling data. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous patterns in system profiling requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and access control implementation, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques and the information gathering phase of cyber operations. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security audits of profiling and monitoring systems to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the Android ecosystem.