CVE-2016-8474 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the STMicroelectronics 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-31799972.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8474 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the STMicroelectronics driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.10. This issue manifests as a privilege escalation vector that allows local malicious applications to bypass normal access controls and retrieve data that should be restricted to higher permission levels. The vulnerability resides in the driver implementation that manages hardware interfaces, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access that fundamentally undermines the Android security model's principle of least privilege. The affected Android ID A-31799972 indicates this was tracked as a specific security concern within the Android security framework, highlighting its relevance to mobile device security.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and access control mechanisms within the STMicroelectronics driver implementation. The flaw likely involves inadequate boundary checking when processing device ioctls or other driver interfaces, allowing malicious applications to craft specific requests that trigger unintended data exposure. This type of vulnerability maps to CWE-200, Information Exposure, and more specifically to CWE-125, Out-of-Bounds Read, when the malicious application can manipulate driver behavior to access memory regions beyond intended boundaries. The vulnerability requires an initial compromise of a privileged process to establish a foothold, which aligns with the Moderate severity rating and reflects the layered security approach that modern operating systems employ to mitigate such issues.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-8474 extends beyond simple data leakage, as it enables attackers to potentially access sensitive system information, user credentials, or proprietary data stored within restricted memory regions. For Android devices, this vulnerability could allow malicious applications to extract hardware-specific information, device identifiers, or other sensitive metadata that could be leveraged for further attacks. The requirement for initial compromise of a privileged process means that attackers would need to first gain elevated privileges through other means, such as exploiting a separate vulnerability or social engineering. However, once the initial compromise occurs, the information disclosure capability becomes a powerful tool for attackers to gather intelligence about the target system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005, Data from Local System, and T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it provides a mechanism for data extraction and potentially further system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8474 focus on both immediate patching and operational security enhancements. The primary solution involves applying the relevant security patches provided by STMicroelectronics and Google to update the affected driver components. Organizations should implement comprehensive device management policies to ensure timely patch deployment across all Android devices in their environment. Additionally, mobile device management solutions should enforce strict application permissions and monitor for unusual data access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should consider implementing network-based monitoring to detect potential data exfiltration attempts that might result from successful exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and driver components, particularly in enterprise environments where mobile devices handle sensitive corporate data. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of driver integrity to prevent exploitation of similar privilege escalation vectors.