CVE-2017-0333 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-3.18. Android ID: A-33899363. References: N-CVE-2017-0333.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0333 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within NVIDIA's GPU driver implementation for Android devices running kernel version 3.18. This security weakness resides in the graphics processing unit driver component that manages hardware acceleration for graphical operations and multimedia processing. The flaw allows a locally malicious application to escalate its privileges from user-level execution to kernel-level operations, effectively bypassing the operating system's security boundaries. Such a vulnerability creates a severe risk for Android devices as it provides a pathway for persistent compromise that can persist across reboots and system updates.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the GPU driver's kernel modules. When a malicious application attempts to interact with the graphics processing unit through standard APIs, the driver fails to properly validate the input parameters or enforce proper access controls. This allows the application to manipulate kernel memory structures or execute arbitrary code within the privileged kernel context. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of GPU command buffers and memory management operations, where insufficient bounds checking permits unauthorized memory access patterns. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the validation of input parameters and improper handling of privilege escalation scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0333 extends far beyond typical application-level security breaches, as it provides attackers with complete control over the device's kernel execution environment. Once exploited, the malicious application can modify system files, disable security features, install persistent backdoors, and access all device data without restriction. The compromise affects the entire device functionality since the attacker operates at the kernel level where all system operations are managed. Recovery from such an attack typically requires complete device reinstallation or reflashing of the operating system, making it particularly damaging for users who rely on their devices for sensitive operations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the exploitation of legitimate credentials and privileges to gain system-level access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the affected NVIDIA GPU drivers through official Android updates or manufacturer-specific firmware releases. Device manufacturers should prioritize rolling out security patches to affected Android versions and ensure proper driver validation before deployment. Users should maintain regular system updates and avoid installing untrusted applications that may exploit such kernel-level vulnerabilities. Security researchers recommend implementing kernel address space layout randomization and other exploit mitigation techniques to reduce the effectiveness of such attacks. Organizations should also consider network-based monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and implement application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized code execution. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure driver implementations and proper privilege separation between user-space applications and kernel-level system components.