CVE-2016-6736 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-30953284. References: NVIDIA N-CVE-2016-6736.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
This vulnerability 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. The issue stems from improper input validation and memory management within the graphics driver's kernel components, creating a pathway for local malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute code with kernel-level permissions. The vulnerability specifically affects the GPU driver's handling of user-space memory operations and buffer management, allowing crafted malicious code to manipulate kernel memory structures and gain unauthorized administrative access to the device's core operating system functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a combination of memory corruption techniques and privilege escalation mechanisms within the graphics processing unit's kernel driver. Attackers can leverage improper bounds checking in the driver's memory allocation routines to overwrite critical kernel data structures or execute arbitrary code within kernel context. This flaw maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it requires no user interaction or external network access, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through a locally installed malicious application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables complete device compromise and persistent access to the system. Once exploited, the malicious application gains unrestricted access to all system resources, including the ability to modify or delete critical system files, install persistent backdoors, and access all user data stored on the device. This represents a complete breakdown of the operating system's security model, as the GPU driver's kernel components become a vector for full system compromise. The vulnerability's critical rating stems from the necessity of complete system reinstallation to fully remediate the issue, as the compromised kernel components cannot be safely patched without risking further system instability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate application of the security patches released by NVIDIA and Android in the 2016-11-05 update cycle. Organizations and users must ensure all devices running affected Android versions receive the appropriate kernel-level updates that address the GPU driver's memory handling flaws. The patch implementation should include comprehensive testing to verify that the updated driver components properly validate all input parameters and implement proper memory boundary checking. Security professionals should also implement monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities and consider device hardening measures that limit the execution of untrusted code within the graphics processing context. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of supply chain security and the need for comprehensive driver testing before deployment in enterprise environments, as the flaw represents a classic example of how hardware driver vulnerabilities can create persistent attack vectors that compromise entire operating system security models.