CVE-2016-8405 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, Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-31651010.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
The CVE-2016-8405 vulnerability represents a significant information disclosure flaw within Android's kernel components that undermines the system's security model. This vulnerability affects kernel versions 3.10 and 3.18 and impacts critical subsystems including the ION memory management system, Binder inter-process communication mechanism, USB driver functionality, and networking components. The flaw enables local malicious applications to bypass normal permission boundaries and access data that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. The vulnerability operates through a combination of kernel-level weaknesses that collectively allow privilege escalation and unauthorized data access. This issue demonstrates the inherent risks in complex kernel architectures where multiple subsystems interact and potentially create attack vectors that can be exploited by locally compromised processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the kernel's memory management and communication subsystems. The ION subsystem, which manages memory allocation for graphics and multimedia operations, contains flaws that allow unauthorized memory access patterns. The Binder driver, responsible for inter-process communication between applications and system services, exhibits insufficient validation of process permissions when handling certain data requests. Additionally, the USB driver and networking subsystems contain information disclosure vulnerabilities that enable malicious applications to extract sensitive data from kernel memory spaces. These vulnerabilities are classified as CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) and CWE-264 (Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The attack vector requires initial compromise of a privileged process, making it a moderate severity issue as it cannot be exploited directly from unprivileged contexts.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-8405 extends beyond simple data leakage to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the Android ecosystem. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to access sensitive kernel memory regions that may contain cryptographic keys, user credentials, application data, or system configuration information. The implications are particularly severe in environments where Android devices handle confidential information or operate in security-sensitive contexts. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to extract device-specific identifiers, access encrypted data stored in kernel memory, or obtain information that could facilitate further exploitation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by its presence across multiple kernel subsystems, providing attackers with multiple potential entry points for information gathering and privilege escalation activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8405 require a multi-layered approach focusing on both immediate patching and operational security enhancements. The primary recommendation involves applying the relevant kernel security patches that address the specific flaws in the ION subsystem, Binder driver, USB driver, and networking components. Organizations should implement strict application sandboxing policies and monitor for unauthorized process execution that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should deploy intrusion detection systems capable of identifying unusual memory access patterns or communication anomalies that could signal exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) techniques, suggesting that defensive measures should include monitoring for suspicious process behavior and implementing least-privilege access controls. Regular security audits of kernel components and comprehensive vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other subsystems that might present comparable risks.