CVE-2016-6698 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in Qualcomm components including the GPU driver, power driver, SMSM Point-to-Point driver, and sound driver in Android before 2016-11-05 could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Android ID: A-30741851. References: Qualcomm QC-CR#1058826.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting multiple Qualcomm driver components within Android systems prior to the 2016-11-05 security patch release. The issue manifests in the GPU driver, power driver, SMSM Point-to-Point driver, and sound driver components, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access that extends beyond normal application permission boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the Android operating system, specifically targeting the underlying hardware abstraction layers that manage device peripherals and system resources. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and demonstrates how driver-level vulnerabilities can create persistent security risks across multiple system components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent privilege escalation requirements that exist within the Android security model, where a malicious application must first compromise a privileged process to gain access to the vulnerable drivers. This requirement for initial compromise creates a layered attack scenario where attackers must first establish a foothold within the system before exploiting the driver-level information disclosure. The vulnerability enables a local malicious application to access data that should normally be restricted to higher-privilege processes, effectively breaking the isolation mechanisms that protect sensitive system information and user data. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1056.001 for Input Injection and T1068 for Local Privilege Escalation, demonstrating how driver-level flaws can be exploited to achieve broader system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the Android security architecture's ability to maintain proper privilege boundaries between applications and system-level components. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could potentially access sensitive system information, including but not limited to device-specific identifiers, power management data, GPU rendering information, and audio system configurations. The affected drivers operate at different security levels within the system architecture, with the GPU driver potentially exposing graphics processing information, the power driver providing access to battery management and power state data, the SMSM Point-to-Point driver offering insights into system monitoring communications, and the sound driver revealing audio processing parameters and configurations. These access patterns create a comprehensive information gathering capability that could enable further attacks or compromise additional system components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require multiple layers of defense including immediate application of the Android security patches released on 2016-11-05, which addressed the specific driver implementations. System administrators should implement strict application permission controls and monitor for unusual system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure driver development practices and proper input validation within kernel-level components. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their Android device fleets to identify any remaining vulnerable systems and implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous access patterns to system resources. Additionally, the vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all system components, particularly hardware drivers that operate with elevated privileges and have direct access to critical system resources. The issue serves as a reminder of how interconnected system components can create cascading security risks when proper isolation mechanisms are not properly implemented.