CVE-2017-0505 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-31822282. References: M-ALPS02992041.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
This critical elevation of privilege vulnerability exists within MediaTek proprietary drivers that form the foundation of Android device functionality. The flaw affects multiple kernel-level components including the Memory Management Unit driver, audio subsystem, touch interface drivers, graphics processing unit drivers, and command queue management systems. These drivers operate with elevated privileges and handle sensitive hardware interactions that are fundamental to device operation and security boundaries. The vulnerability allows a locally installed malicious application to escalate its privileges from user-level to kernel-level execution, effectively bypassing all standard Android security controls and access restrictions. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the security architecture where untrusted applications can gain complete control over the device's core operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages weaknesses in driver validation and memory management within the MediaTek chipsets. Attackers can craft malicious applications that exploit buffer overflows, improper input validation, or race conditions within these kernel drivers to execute arbitrary code with the highest possible privileges. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables complete system compromise, allowing attackers to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, access encrypted data, and potentially gain root access to the entire device. The kernel-level execution context provides attackers with direct access to hardware resources, memory spaces, and system functions that should remain protected from user-space applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses an extreme risk to device security and user privacy. The local nature of the exploit means that only applications installed on the device can trigger the vulnerability, but this still represents a significant threat vector since legitimate applications can be replaced or modified by malicious actors. The requirement for full system reinstallation after exploitation indicates that the compromise affects core system integrity mechanisms, making it impossible to simply uninstall the malicious application or reset the device to recover. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and follows ATT&CK technique T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where attackers leverage system weaknesses to gain elevated privileges.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from device manufacturers and system administrators. Android security patches must be deployed to address the specific driver flaws, with MediaTek releasing firmware updates that fix the underlying driver implementations. Device manufacturers should implement additional security measures such as kernel address space layout randomization, enhanced driver validation, and runtime monitoring of suspicious kernel activities. Users must be advised to keep their devices updated with the latest security patches and avoid installing applications from untrusted sources that could exploit these vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of securing driver code and the potential consequences when hardware-level components contain exploitable flaws that can be leveraged for complete system compromise.