CVE-2017-0517 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the MediaTek hardware sensor 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: N/A. Android ID: A-32372051. References: M-ALPS02973195.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0517 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the MediaTek hardware sensor driver component of Android systems. This weakness exists in the kernel-level sensor driver implementation that processes sensor data from hardware sensors, creating an opportunity for local malicious applications to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level permissions. The vulnerability specifically affects devices utilizing MediaTek chipsets and demonstrates how hardware abstraction layer components can introduce security risks that extend beyond typical software boundaries.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and improper privilege handling within the sensor driver's kernel code. When a malicious application attempts to interact with the sensor driver through improper data structures or malformed sensor requests, the driver fails to properly validate the incoming data, leading to potential memory corruption or privilege escalation. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow conditions. The flaw allows an attacker who has already compromised a privileged process to leverage this weakness to gain full kernel-level access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local code execution is already possible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over the device's kernel space operations. Once exploited, the malicious application can modify system files, disable security mechanisms, access all user data, and potentially install persistent backdoors. The attack vector requires a pre-existing compromised privileged process, which means that while the vulnerability is not directly exploitable from outside the device, it significantly amplifies the damage that can be caused by existing local attacks. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the use of privilege escalation to gain access to system-level resources, and T1059, which covers the execution of malicious code through system processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0517 require a multi-layered approach focusing on both system-level hardening and timely patch management. Device manufacturers should implement proper input validation and bounds checking within the sensor driver code to prevent malformed data from causing privilege escalation. The Android security model should be enhanced with additional runtime checks that monitor sensor driver interactions for suspicious patterns. Users should ensure their devices receive timely security updates from manufacturers, as this vulnerability was addressed through kernel-level patches that corrected the sensor driver's privilege handling mechanisms. Additionally, implementing SELinux policies and kernel address space layout randomization can help reduce the exploitability of such vulnerabilities by adding additional layers of protection against kernel-level attacks.