CVE-2016-6716 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the AOSP Launcher in Android 7.0 before 2016-11-01 could allow a local malicious application to create shortcuts that have elevated privileges without the user's consent. This issue is rated as Moderate because it is a local bypass of user interaction requirements (access to functionality that would normally require either user initiation or user permission). Android ID: A-30778130.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6716 represents a significant security flaw within the Android Open Source Project Launcher component that affected Android 7.0 releases prior to November 1, 2016. This issue falls under the category of privilege escalation attacks where a malicious application can exploit a weakness in the system's permission model to gain elevated privileges without proper user consent or awareness. The vulnerability specifically targets the shortcut creation mechanism within the launcher, which serves as a fundamental interface element for users to access applications and system functions. The flaw allows unauthorized applications to manipulate the launcher's shortcut creation process in a manner that bypasses normal security controls and user interaction requirements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and access control mechanisms within the launcher's shortcut handling code. When an application attempts to create a shortcut, the system should normally verify that the action originates from a legitimate source and that appropriate user consent has been obtained. However, the vulnerability in the AOSP Launcher component fails to properly validate the source and intent of shortcut creation requests, enabling malicious applications to forge shortcut creation requests that appear to originate from trusted system components. This weakness creates a pathway for privilege escalation where unauthorized applications can effectively bypass the normal user interaction requirements that would typically be necessary to access certain system functionalities.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a moderate security risk that can be exploited by locally installed malicious applications. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it allows attackers to create shortcuts that can execute with elevated privileges, potentially enabling them to access sensitive system resources, modify system settings, or perform actions that would normally require explicit user consent or system-level permissions. The bypass of user interaction requirements makes this particularly concerning as it operates silently in the background without alerting users to the malicious activity. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to create persistent backdoors, install additional malicious components, or establish unauthorized access to system functions that should remain protected from local applications.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. This classification reflects the core problem of insufficient privilege checking and validation within the launcher component. The attack pattern can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation,' as the vulnerability enables local applications to elevate their privileges through manipulation of system components. Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches released by Google, monitoring for suspicious shortcut creation activities, and ensuring that only trusted applications are installed on affected devices. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date system software and highlights the critical need for proper access control validation in system interface components that handle user interaction elements such as shortcuts and widgets.
This vulnerability demonstrates the interconnected nature of Android security components and how weaknesses in one area can create broader impact across the system's privilege model. The fact that it affects the launcher component, which serves as a primary user interface element, means that the attack surface is particularly broad and the potential for exploitation is significant. The security community's recognition of this issue through the Android ID A-30778130 indicates its importance and the need for proper patch management across affected Android versions. The remediation process requires careful attention to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with legitimate shortcut creation functionality while properly addressing the privilege escalation pathway that was previously available to malicious applications.