CVE-2016-8445 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in MediaTek components, including the thermal driver and video driver, could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as High because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: N/A. Android ID: A-31747590. References: MT-ALPS02968983.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8445 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within MediaTek chipsets that are widely deployed in android devices. This issue affects fundamental system components including thermal management drivers and video drivers, which operate at the kernel level and possess extensive system privileges. The vulnerability's classification as High severity stems from the requirement for an attacker to first compromise a privileged process before exploiting this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in environments where such privileges might be obtained through other attack vectors. The affected MediaTek components are integral to device operation, with thermal drivers managing system temperature and video drivers controlling graphics processing, both of which require kernel-level access to function properly.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a flaw in how MediaTek's kernel components handle privilege escalation mechanisms. When a malicious application gains access to a privileged process, it can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code within the kernel context, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries that separate user applications from system-level operations. This flaw likely involves improper input validation or memory management issues within the driver code that allows an attacker to manipulate kernel execution flow. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because kernel-level code execution provides complete system control, enabling attackers to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, or extract sensitive data from protected memory areas.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for android device users and organizations relying on MediaTek-powered devices. The requirement for initial privilege compromise means that attackers must first establish a foothold through other attack vectors such as malicious applications or compromised user accounts before exploiting this specific weakness. However, once achieved, the kernel-level execution capability allows for complete system compromise, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to advanced persistent threat actors. The widespread adoption of MediaTek chipsets across various android device manufacturers means that potentially millions of devices could be affected by this vulnerability, especially those running older android versions where patching may not have been comprehensive.
Security mitigations for CVE-2016-8445 primarily focus on applying manufacturer-provided security patches and updates that address the specific kernel driver flaws. Android device manufacturers should prioritize rolling out patches for affected MediaTek components, particularly those related to thermal and video drivers. System administrators and security professionals should implement additional monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities and ensure that device firmware is regularly updated. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation," and potentially CWE-119, "Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer," as these categories commonly encompass kernel-level memory corruption issues. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068, "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," and T1059, "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as attackers would need to leverage these techniques to achieve persistent access and execute malicious code at the kernel level. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting and runtime application control measures to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities even when they occur.