CVE-2016-8408 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the NVIDIA video driver 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-31496571. References: N-CVE-2016-8408.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8408 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within NVIDIA video drivers running on Android devices. This issue specifically affects the kernel version 3.10 and is catalogued under Android ID A-31496571. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of hardware driver security and operating system privilege management, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access that could compromise system integrity. The flaw exists within the graphics processing unit driver components that manage hardware acceleration for multimedia functions, particularly affecting devices that utilize NVIDIA's proprietary graphics solutions. This type of vulnerability demonstrates the complex security landscape that emerges when hardware-specific drivers interact with operating system security models, where low-privilege applications might exploit driver weaknesses to access restricted memory regions.
The technical mechanism underlying this information disclosure vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the NVIDIA driver implementation. When applications attempt to interact with graphics processing capabilities through the driver interface, the system fails to properly validate memory access boundaries, allowing malicious code to potentially read data from adjacent memory segments that should be restricted to higher-privilege processes. This weakness creates a scenario where a local attacker with a compromised application could exploit the driver's memory management functions to extract sensitive information from other processes or system memory regions. The vulnerability operates on principles similar to those described in CWE-200, which deals with information exposure, and represents a classic case of inadequate privilege separation in kernel-mode components. The exploitation requires initial compromise of a privileged process to establish a foothold, making it moderately rated rather than critical, as it does not enable direct system compromise but rather facilitates data exfiltration.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-8408 extends beyond simple data leakage, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks that could lead to complete system compromise. While the vulnerability requires an initial foothold through privilege escalation, once established, it could allow attackers to gather credentials, application data, or system configuration details that would otherwise remain protected. Mobile devices running affected Android versions become particularly vulnerable as they often store sensitive user information, authentication tokens, and personal data within memory spaces that could be accessed through this flaw. The impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where mobile devices handle confidential business information, as this vulnerability could facilitate corporate espionage or data breaches. Security researchers have noted that such driver-level vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they operate below the application layer, making them difficult to detect through conventional application security measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8408 should focus on both immediate patching and broader system hardening approaches. The primary solution involves updating to patched versions of the NVIDIA drivers that address the specific memory access control issues. Organizations should prioritize updating their Android devices to versions that include the necessary driver patches, particularly those that address kernel 3.10 vulnerabilities. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of graphics driver interactions and memory access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application execution and T1003 for credential access highlights the need for comprehensive monitoring of process memory access patterns. Additional protective measures include implementing proper application sandboxing, restricting graphics driver access permissions, and conducting regular security audits of device driver configurations. Organizations should also consider network-level monitoring to detect unusual data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to gather information that would later be used for more sophisticated attacks within the network environment.