CVE-2016-6734 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA GPU driver in Android before 2016-11-05 could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device. Android ID: A-30907120. References: NVIDIA N-CVE-2016-6734.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6734 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the NVIDIA GPU driver component of Android operating systems prior to the 2016-11-05 security patch release. This weakness resides in the kernel-level graphics driver implementation that governs GPU operations and memory management for mobile devices. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the GPU driver subsystem, specifically affecting how the driver processes certain graphics commands and memory allocations. Attackers exploiting this flaw can manipulate the driver's behavior to escalate their privileges from user-level application context to kernel-level execution, effectively bypassing the fundamental security boundaries that protect the operating system's core functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted graphics operations that trigger memory corruption within the GPU driver's kernel space. When a malicious application submits malformed graphics commands or manipulates GPU memory regions, the driver fails to properly validate these inputs, leading to buffer overflows or memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions in kernel space, and represents a classic example of a kernel-level privilege escalation vector that has been historically targeted by advanced persistent threats. The flaw particularly affects devices running Android versions where NVIDIA's proprietary GPU driver implementation lacks proper bounds checking and memory management safeguards.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6734 extends far beyond typical application-level exploits, as it provides attackers with complete control over the device's kernel space execution environment. Once successfully exploited, the malicious application can manipulate system memory, modify kernel code, disable security features, and establish persistent backdoors within the device's operating system. This level of compromise can result in complete device takeover, data exfiltration, and the ability to maintain long-term access without requiring user interaction or additional authentication. The severity classification as Critical reflects the potential for permanent device compromise that may necessitate complete system reinstallation or reflashing to restore proper functionality, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for both individual users and enterprise environments that rely on mobile device security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6734 focus primarily on applying the vendor-provided security patches released by NVIDIA and Google as part of their regular Android security updates. Device manufacturers must ensure timely deployment of the November 2016 security patches that address the specific memory handling flaws within the GPU driver implementation. Organizations should implement robust patch management processes to ensure all Android devices receive the necessary updates promptly. Additionally, security monitoring should include detection of suspicious graphics-related processes and memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and kernel-mode exploitation methods, with defensive measures focusing on process isolation, memory protection mechanisms, and comprehensive endpoint detection capabilities. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of secure coding practices in kernel-level drivers and proper input validation to prevent similar issues in future implementations.