CVE-2017-0606 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm sound 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, Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-34088848. References: QC-CR#1116015.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0606 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Qualcomm's sound driver implementation on Android devices. This weakness exists in the kernel versions 3.10 and 3.18, affecting the Android operating system's security posture significantly. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and privilege management within the audio driver subsystem, creating a pathway for malicious applications to escalate their privileges and gain kernel-level execution capabilities. The vulnerability's classification as High severity reflects the substantial risk it poses to device security, as it requires only local access to potentially compromise the entire system.
The technical flaw manifests in the Qualcomm sound driver's handling of specific kernel interfaces and system calls that process audio data. When a malicious application successfully exploits this vulnerability, it can manipulate the driver's memory management routines to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. This occurs through improper bounds checking and insufficient validation of user-supplied data passed to kernel space. The flaw leverages the inherent trust relationship between the audio driver and the kernel, allowing privilege escalation without requiring physical access or complex attack vectors. The vulnerability specifically affects the interaction between the audio subsystem and the kernel's memory management unit, where insufficient safeguards permit unauthorized code execution within the most privileged execution context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to gain complete control over affected devices, potentially leading to data theft, persistent backdoor installation, or complete system compromise. The local nature of the attack means that an adversary only needs to install a malicious application on the target device, which could be achieved through social engineering, compromised app stores, or pre-installed malicious software. Once exploited, the attacker can access all system resources, modify critical system files, monitor user activities, and establish persistent access. The impact extends beyond individual device security to potentially affect enterprise networks and cloud services if compromised devices connect to corporate infrastructure. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers the use of local privilege escalation to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0606 require immediate patch deployment through official Android security updates or manufacturer-specific fixes. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected devices to the latest kernel versions that contain the necessary security patches. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous kernel-level activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a CWE-119, which addresses improper restriction of operations within a recognized security boundary, emphasizes the need for robust memory safety controls. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing exploit prevention mechanisms such as kernel address space layout randomization and stack canaries to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other system components.