CVE-2017-0325 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA I2C HID 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: Kernel 3.10 and Kernel 3.18. Android ID: A-33040280. References: N-CVE-2017-0325.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0325 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the NVIDIA I2C HID driver component of Android systems running kernel versions 3.10 and 3.18. This issue resides in the kernel-level driver responsible for handling I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication with human interface devices, creating a pathway for malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level permissions. The vulnerability's classification as High severity stems from the requirement for an attacker to first compromise a privileged process, which then serves as the initial foothold for kernel exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and memory handling within the I2C HID driver implementation. When the driver processes specific I2C communication requests from user-space applications, it fails to properly validate the data structures and memory pointers used in the communication protocol. This validation gap allows a malicious application to craft specially crafted I2C commands that can manipulate kernel memory structures, leading to arbitrary code execution in kernel context. The vulnerability specifically affects the way the driver handles certain HID device communication patterns, where buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions can occur when processing malformed I2C data packets.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain complete control over the device's kernel operations. Once exploited, the malicious application can modify kernel memory, disable security mechanisms, access protected system resources, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. This kernel-level access allows for complete system compromise, including the ability to modify or delete critical system files, access encrypted data, and manipulate device drivers. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed Android kernel versions means that a significant number of devices could be affected, particularly those manufactured by NVIDIA and other vendors using the affected driver components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0325 should prioritize immediate patching of affected kernel versions, with the implementation of the official security updates provided by NVIDIA and Android. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR) and stack canaries to make exploitation more difficult. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may also relate to CWE-122, heap-based buffer overflow conditions, depending on the specific exploitation method used. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques under the T1068 category, specifically targeting kernel-level privilege escalation through driver exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting and monitoring for unusual kernel-level activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure driver development practices and the need for comprehensive security testing of kernel components, particularly those handling hardware communication protocols like I2C and HID interfaces.