CVE-2016-6711 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A remote denial of service vulnerability in libvpx in Mediaserver in Android 4.x before 4.4.4, 5.0.x before 5.0.2, 5.1.x before 5.1.1, and 6.x before 2016-11-01 could enable an attacker to use a specially crafted file to cause a device hang or reboot. This issue is rated as High due to the possibility of remote denial of service. Android ID: A-30593765.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6711 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within the libvpx library component of Android's media server implementation. This vulnerability specifically affects Android versions 4.x prior to 4.4.4, 5.0.x prior to 5.0.2, 5.1.x prior to 5.1.1, and 6.x prior to the 2016-11-01 security update. The libvpx library serves as a crucial component for decoding vp8 and vp9 video codecs, which are extensively used in multimedia applications across the Android platform. The flaw manifests when the media server processes specially crafted malicious video files that exploit memory handling inconsistencies within the vp8 decoder implementation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the libvpx library's vp8 decoder. When processing malformed video streams, the library fails to properly handle edge cases in frame parsing and memory allocation, leading to buffer overflows or invalid memory access patterns that cause the media server process to crash. This issue is categorized under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and specifically relates to improper handling of memory allocation during video frame decoding operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely through malicious media files delivered via email attachments, web downloads, or malicious applications that leverage the Android media framework.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6711 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise device availability and user experience across affected Android versions. When exploited, this vulnerability can cause complete device hang or forced reboot, effectively rendering the device temporarily unusable until manual restart occurs. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no user interaction beyond opening or playing the malicious media file, making it susceptible to automated exploitation through social engineering campaigns or compromised websites. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which describes network denial of service attacks, and T1059.007, involving command and scripting interpreter usage for exploitation. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Android devices including smartphones, tablets, and other mobile platforms that utilize the affected media framework components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6711 primarily focus on applying the relevant security patches released by Google as part of their Android security updates. Organizations and users should immediately upgrade to Android versions that contain the fix, specifically Android 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, and the November 2016 security update for Android 6.x. Additionally, network administrators should implement content filtering measures to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious media files, particularly those delivered through email or web portals. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation in multimedia frameworks, suggesting that developers should implement comprehensive bounds checking and memory safety mechanisms when processing external media content. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual media server process behavior and potential memory allocation patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing sandboxing measures for media processing components to limit the impact of any successful exploitation attempts, while maintaining compliance with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top 10 for mobile security vulnerabilities.