CVE-2016-7988 in Galaxy
Summary
by MITRE
On Samsung Galaxy S4 through S7 devices, absence of permissions on the BroadcastReceiver responsible for handling the com.[Samsung].android.intent.action.SET_WIFI intent leads to unsolicited configuration messages being handled by wifi-service.jar within the Android Framework, a subset of SVE-2016-6542.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7988 represents a critical permission flaw within Samsung's Android-based mobile devices ranging from Galaxy S4 through S7 models. This security weakness stems from inadequate access controls on a specific BroadcastReceiver component that processes the com.samsung.android.intent.action.SET_WIFI intent. The absence of proper permission checks creates an exploitable pathway where unauthorized applications can send malicious intents to the wifi-service.jar framework component, bypassing normal security boundaries that should protect core system functionality.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of input validation and permission verification within the Android framework's broadcast handling mechanism. When the affected BroadcastReceiver receives the SET_WIFI intent, it fails to authenticate the sender or verify proper authorization levels before executing the associated configuration commands. This design oversight allows any application with the necessary intent permissions to trigger wifi configuration changes without proper user consent or administrative privileges. The vulnerability operates at the system level within the Android framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by malicious applications that have already gained some level of system access or through social engineering attacks that trick users into installing compromised applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized wifi configuration changes, as it represents a broader class of privilege escalation issues that can compromise network security and user privacy. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can potentially modify wifi settings, redirect network traffic, or establish persistent network access points that bypass normal security controls. The vulnerability affects a substantial portion of Samsung's smartphone user base, creating widespread exposure across multiple device generations and potentially enabling large-scale attacks that could compromise user data, network integrity, and corporate security policies. This weakness particularly impacts enterprise environments where mobile device management policies rely on proper network configuration controls and where unauthorized wifi modifications could lead to significant security breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7988 require both immediate patch deployment and architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in future implementations. Samsung released security updates addressing this vulnerability through firmware patches that enforce proper permission checking on the affected BroadcastReceiver components. Organizations should implement comprehensive mobile device management policies that include regular security updates, application whitelisting, and network monitoring to detect unauthorized wifi configuration changes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a specific implementation of the broader ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves the use of legitimate credentials to gain system access through privilege escalation mechanisms. Security professionals should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect anomalous wifi configuration changes that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability, while ensuring that all system components undergo proper security review processes before deployment to prevent similar permission-related flaws from emerging in future releases.