CVE-2016-6751 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-30902162. References: Qualcomm QC-CR#1062271.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6751 represents a significant information disclosure flaw affecting Qualcomm components within Android systems prior to the 2016-11-05 security update. This vulnerability specifically impacts critical system drivers including the GPU driver, power driver, SMSM Point-to-Point driver, and sound driver, creating a pathway for local malicious applications to access data beyond their intended permission levels. The issue stems from inadequate boundary checking and privilege validation mechanisms within these kernel-level drivers, allowing unauthorized data access that violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of memory access and privilege escalation within Qualcomm's proprietary driver implementations. When a malicious application successfully compromises a privileged process, it can leverage the flawed driver components to read memory locations that should be restricted to system-level operations or other privileged processes. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and specifically relates to CWE-264, "Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls," as the flaw enables unauthorized access to protected system resources through compromised privileged processes. The vulnerability demonstrates how driver-level weaknesses can create persistent access vectors that bypass traditional application-level security controls.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for Android devices running affected versions, as it provides a pathway for local applications to access sensitive system information, potentially including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or confidential communications. The requirement for initial compromise of a privileged process means that attackers must first gain elevated privileges before exploiting this vulnerability, but this initial compromise is often achieved through other means such as application vulnerabilities, system exploits, or social engineering attacks. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of device security and privacy mechanisms, potentially enabling attackers to escalate their access and extract valuable data from the device.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6751 primarily focus on applying the Android security update released on 2016-11-05, which addresses the specific driver-level flaws in Qualcomm components. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the patched Android version to eliminate the vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation activities and ensure that all applications undergo rigorous security assessment before deployment. The vulnerability highlights the importance of driver security in mobile platforms and reinforces the need for regular security updates and proper access control mechanisms. This issue also demonstrates the critical relationship between hardware vendor security implementations and overall system security posture, as vulnerabilities in proprietary drivers can create persistent threats that require coordinated fixes across multiple software layers. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of driver-level weaknesses to bypass system security controls and access restricted data resources.