CVE-2016-8404 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in kernel components including the ION subsystem, Binder, USB driver and networking subsystem 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. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.10. Android ID: A-31496950.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8404 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the Android kernel components that affects the ION subsystem, Binder mechanism, USB driver, and networking subsystem. This vulnerability resides in the kernel layer of the Android operating system, specifically within the kernel version 3.10 which was prevalent in various Android releases. The flaw enables a local malicious application to bypass normal permission boundaries and access data that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. The vulnerability requires an initial compromise of a privileged process to achieve the information disclosure, which places it in the moderate severity category according to standard risk assessment methodologies.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weaknesses in kernel-level memory management and access control mechanisms. The ION subsystem, which manages shared memory allocation for graphics and multimedia operations, appears to have insufficient boundary checking that allows unauthorized access to memory regions. Similarly, the Binder driver, which facilitates inter-process communication in Android, contains flaws that permit data leakage between processes with different permission levels. The USB driver and networking subsystem components also exhibit similar vulnerabilities that can be exploited to extract sensitive information from kernel memory spaces. These issues collectively demonstrate a pattern of inadequate privilege separation and memory protection mechanisms within the kernel's component architecture.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a dangerous attack surface that allows malicious applications to escalate their privileges and access sensitive data that would normally be protected. The requirement for an initial compromise of a privileged process means that attackers must first gain access to a system with elevated privileges before exploiting this vulnerability, but once achieved, the information disclosure can be extensive. This vulnerability impacts the fundamental security model of Android by undermining the isolation between different application processes and potentially exposing user data, system configuration information, and other sensitive kernel-level data that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could lead to full system compromise. Attackers could leverage this flaw to extract kernel memory contents, access sensitive system information, or gather data that could be used for further exploitation. The vulnerability affects the core security architecture of Android by weakening the kernel-level protections that are designed to prevent unauthorized access to system resources. Mitigation strategies should include kernel updates that address the specific memory management and access control issues within the affected components, along with implementing additional runtime protections and monitoring mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as it represents a significant threat to Android system integrity and user privacy, particularly given the widespread adoption of the kernel version 3.10 across various Android implementations.
This vulnerability aligns with common weakness patterns documented in the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) catalog, specifically relating to improper access control and insufficient privilege separation within kernel components. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques that leverage kernel-level flaws, potentially enabling adversaries to move laterally within the system and access restricted resources. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust kernel security boundaries and proper memory management practices to prevent unauthorized information disclosure that could compromise entire system security models.