CVE-2016-6766 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability in libmedia and libstagefright in Mediaserver 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. Product: Android. Versions: 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0. Android ID: A-31318219.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6766 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Android's media processing subsystem, specifically within libmedia and libstagefright components of the Mediaserver service. This issue resides in the core media handling infrastructure that processes multimedia content across various Android versions including 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, and 7.0. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the media framework's parsing mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system through crafted multimedia files. The flaw is particularly concerning as it allows for remote execution of denial of service attacks without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges, making it accessible to threat actors with minimal attack surface requirements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow condition within the media parser's handling of malformed media files, specifically those processed through the stagefright framework. When the Mediaserver attempts to parse maliciously constructed media content, the parsing routine fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to memory corruption that ultimately causes the system to crash or reboot. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting a specially formatted media file that triggers an out-of-bounds memory access during parsing operations, causing the mediaserver process to terminate unexpectedly and potentially restart the entire system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Android device users and organizations relying on mobile platforms for critical operations. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can potentially compromise device availability through simple media file delivery via email attachments, web downloads, or messaging applications. The high severity rating reflects the potential for widespread disruption across affected Android versions, as the mediaserver service is fundamental to multimedia functionality throughout the operating system. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for service disruption attacks, potentially enabling attackers to render devices unusable for extended periods. This type of attack maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting system resources.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6766 primarily focus on applying security patches released by Google as part of their regular Android security updates. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the relevant security patches that address the buffer overflow conditions in libstagefright and libmedia components. Additionally, implementing network-based controls such as media file filtering and sandboxing mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection. System administrators should consider disabling unnecessary media processing capabilities when not required and implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior in the mediaserver process. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual devices to enterprise environments where mobile device management solutions must account for this flaw in their security policies and update deployment strategies. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of patch compliance for this specific vulnerability, as unpatched systems remain susceptible to exploitation.