CVE-2017-0616 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the MediaTek system management interrupt 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-34470286. References: M-ALPS03149160.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0616 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the MediaTek system management interrupt driver component of Android operating systems. This vulnerability exists in the kernel-level driver responsible for handling system management interrupts, which are essential for system operations including power management, thermal control, and hardware monitoring. The flaw allows a local malicious application to escalate its privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level permissions, effectively bypassing the normal security boundaries that separate user applications from the core operating system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and privilege handling within the MediaTek system management interrupt driver. When a privileged process is compromised or when an application gains access to the system management interrupt interface, the driver fails to properly validate the privileges of the calling process or the integrity of the interrupt requests. This allows an attacker to craft malicious interrupt requests that can be processed with elevated privileges, ultimately enabling code execution in kernel space. The vulnerability specifically affects MediaTek chipsets that implement system management interrupts, making it particularly widespread across Android devices that utilize MediaTek processors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and directly relates to the potential for complete system compromise. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they gain unrestricted access to the kernel, enabling them to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, extract sensitive data, and potentially disable security features. The requirement to first compromise a privileged process does not significantly reduce the risk level, as modern Android applications can often gain elevated privileges through various attack vectors including application exploits, system component vulnerabilities, or social engineering. This makes the attack surface broader than initially apparent, as the vulnerability can be leveraged as part of a multi-stage attack chain.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and represents a classic example of a kernel-level privilege escalation flaw. The attack pattern follows common techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation category, specifically targeting the kernel and system-level components. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the MediaTek drivers, applying security patches from device manufacturers, and monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure driver development practices and proper privilege validation mechanisms in system management components, as these elements form the foundation of operating system security and are often overlooked in traditional security assessments.