CVE-2016-8428 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA GPU driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.10. Android ID: A-31993456. References: N-CVE-2016-8428.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
This critical elevation of privilege vulnerability exists within the NVIDIA GPU driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.10. The flaw allows a local malicious application to escalate its privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level permissions, effectively bypassing the operating system's security boundaries. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the GPU driver's kernel space components, creating a pathway for privilege escalation that could lead to complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-264, which covers permissions, privileges, and access controls. Attackers exploiting this weakness can leverage the GPU driver's kernel-level access to manipulate system memory, modify critical kernel structures, or inject malicious code that persists across reboots. The kernel 3.10 version specifically contains a flaw in how it handles GPU memory allocation and access control mechanisms, allowing unprivileged processes to gain unauthorized access to kernel memory regions through crafted GPU operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond typical application-level exploits, as it enables persistent system compromise that may require complete device reinstallation to resolve. Once exploited, the malicious application can maintain persistence, monitor system activities, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data without detection. This represents a significant threat to device integrity and user privacy, as the attacker gains access to the most privileged execution context available within the Android environment. The vulnerability's critical rating reflects the potential for complete device takeover and the difficulty of remediation, which may necessitate complete system reflash or hardware replacement.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected NVIDIA GPU drivers and kernel components to address the privilege escalation pathway. System administrators should implement runtime monitoring to detect suspicious GPU driver activity and privilege escalation attempts. The Android security model requires regular updates to maintain protection against such kernel-level vulnerabilities, and organizations should establish rapid deployment procedures for critical security patches. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing additional runtime protections such as kernel address space layout randomization and control flow integrity mechanisms to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of securing kernel-level components and the need for comprehensive security testing of all system drivers that operate with elevated privileges.