CVE-2017-0500 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in MediaTek components, including the M4U driver, sound driver, touchscreen driver, GPU driver, and Command Queue 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: N/A. Android ID: A-28429685. References: M-ALPS02710006.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0500 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within MediaTek-based Android devices, specifically affecting core kernel drivers that manage hardware interactions. This vulnerability exists within the MediaTek M4U driver and several other essential system components including sound, touchscreen, GPU, and Command Queue drivers, creating a significant attack surface for malicious applications. The flaw allows local malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code within the kernel context, fundamentally compromising the device's security architecture. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper access controls within the MediaTek driver implementations, which are integral to Android's hardware abstraction layer.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper validation of user-space inputs within kernel drivers, enabling malicious applications to craft specific inputs that trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption within the driver code. This weakness directly maps to CWE-119 Improper Access to Memory and CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate kernel memory structures. The attack vector requires local execution privileges, meaning an application must already be installed on the device to exploit this vulnerability, but once successful, it provides complete kernel-level access. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to bypass all kernel security mechanisms, including memory protection, process isolation, and hardware security features.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a permanent compromise risk that can only be remediated through complete system reinstallation or reflashing, making it particularly dangerous for end users and organizations. The exploitation process typically involves crafting malicious payloads that leverage the driver vulnerabilities to gain kernel execution privileges, which then allows attackers to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, or extract sensitive data from the device. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of Android devices, as it undermines the kernel's role as the final security barrier between user applications and system resources. The impact is rated as critical because it enables complete device compromise without requiring physical access or advanced exploitation techniques, making it particularly attractive to threat actors.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate firmware and system updates from device manufacturers, as the flaw exists within hardware driver components that require specific patches from MediaTek and device vendors. System administrators should implement strict application vetting processes to prevent installation of untrusted applications that could exploit this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where attackers leverage kernel vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing device monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous kernel behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure driver development practices and proper input validation at all levels of the system architecture, as it demonstrates how hardware abstraction layer flaws can create persistent security risks that extend far beyond their initial exploitation surface.