CVE-2016-6767 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability 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. Android ID: A-31833604.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6767 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Android mediaserver component that operates as a core system service responsible for handling multimedia file processing and playback operations. This vulnerability specifically affects Android version 4.4.4 and is classified as High severity due to its potential for remote exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where devices may be exposed to untrusted media content from external sources. The mediaserver service acts as a central hub for media processing tasks and is frequently invoked when users interact with multimedia files, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt device functionality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the mediaserver's handling of specially crafted media files that contain malformed or maliciously constructed data structures. When the system attempts to process these crafted files, the mediaserver fails to properly validate the file headers, metadata, or encoding parameters, leading to memory corruption or stack overflow conditions that ultimately cause the system to become unresponsive or initiate an automatic reboot. This flaw operates at the system level within the Android framework, specifically targeting the media processing pipeline that handles various audio and video formats including but not limited to mp3, mp4, and other common multimedia containers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through normal user interactions when opening media files, making it difficult to prevent through user awareness alone.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device disruption, as it can be leveraged by attackers to create persistent service availability issues across affected devices. Remote exploitation capabilities mean that attackers can potentially deliver malicious media files through various channels including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites, allowing them to target users without physical access to the device. The vulnerability affects all devices running Android 4.4.4, which was a widely deployed version at the time of discovery, potentially exposing millions of devices to this threat. The automatic reboot behavior can be particularly problematic in enterprise environments or IoT devices where uninterrupted service availability is critical. Additionally, the vulnerability may be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated compromise scenarios, as the device reboot can potentially reset security measures or disrupt ongoing forensic investigations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6767 should prioritize immediate patch deployment through official Android security updates, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent security releases. System administrators and device manufacturers should implement proactive monitoring for suspicious media file handling activities and consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms for media processing operations. Network-level protections can include content filtering systems that scan incoming media files for known malicious patterns or suspicious file characteristics. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also relate to CWE-129, concerning invalid input validation. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service and potentially T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Organizations should also consider implementing device management policies that restrict media file handling capabilities and maintain regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components.