CVE-2017-0332 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA crypto 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. Android ID: A-33812508. References: N-CVE-2017-0332.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0332 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the NVIDIA crypto driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.10. This security weakness resides in the cryptographic driver implementation that handles hardware-based encryption operations, creating a pathway for local malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute code with kernel-level permissions. The vulnerability's classification as High severity stems from the requirement for initial compromise of a privileged process, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the serious implications of successful exploitation. The affected Android ID A-33812508 indicates this issue was tracked within Google's internal vulnerability management system, highlighting its significance in the mobile security landscape.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation and memory management within the NVIDIA crypto driver's kernel module. When processing cryptographic operations, the driver fails to properly validate user-supplied parameters, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions that can be exploited to gain unauthorized kernel access. This flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite critical kernel memory structures. The vulnerability exploits the trust model between the kernel crypto driver and user-space applications, enabling a local attacker to manipulate driver interfaces and execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges. The attack vector requires local execution capabilities and a pre-existing compromised privileged process, making it more challenging to exploit but still highly dangerous due to the kernel-level access it provides.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0332 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to bypass Android's security model entirely. Once a malicious application gains kernel-level privileges through this vulnerability, it can manipulate system memory, disable security features, install persistent backdoors, and access all device data without restriction. This capability fundamentally undermines the Android security architecture's principle of least privilege and could lead to complete device compromise. The vulnerability affects devices running Android with kernel 3.10 that incorporate NVIDIA's crypto driver, potentially impacting a wide range of smartphones and tablets from various manufacturers who utilized NVIDIA's hardware components. The exploitation of this flaw could result in data theft, device takeover, and the installation of persistent malware that survives device reboots and security updates.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0332 require immediate action from device manufacturers and system administrators to implement security patches and updates. The primary solution involves updating the NVIDIA crypto driver to a patched version that properly validates input parameters and prevents memory corruption conditions. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as kernel address space layout randomization, stack canaries, and code integrity checks to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques highlight the importance of monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities and implementing application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution. System administrators should also consider implementing device encryption, regular security audits, and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of keeping device firmware and kernel components up to date, as this flaw could be exploited by sophisticated attackers to establish persistent access to mobile devices and potentially compromise enterprise networks through compromised employee devices.