CVE-2017-0827 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the MediaTek soc driver. Product: Android. Versions: Android kernel. Android ID: A-62539960. References: M-ALPS03353876, M-ALPS03353861, M-ALPS03353869, M-ALPS03353867, M-ALPS03353872.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2021
The CVE-2017-0827 vulnerability represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the MediaTek system-on-chip driver component of Android kernels. This vulnerability specifically targets the kernel-level implementation of MediaTek SoC drivers, which are widely deployed across various Android devices manufactured by OEMs utilizing MediaTek chipsets. The flaw exists in the kernel module responsible for handling device driver operations and system resource management, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to escalate their privileges from standard user-level processes to kernel-level execution. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and insufficient access controls within the driver's ioctl (input/output control) handling mechanism, which processes commands from user-space applications to kernel-space drivers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a buffer overflow condition in the MediaTek driver's command processing routine. When a malicious application submits specially crafted ioctl commands with oversized data payloads, the driver fails to properly validate the input size before copying data into fixed-size kernel buffers. This buffer overflow allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations within kernel space, potentially corrupting critical data structures or injecting malicious code. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level where all system resources are accessible, enabling full system compromise. The flaw is categorized under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which is a well-documented class of vulnerabilities that has been extensively studied in the cybersecurity community.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0827 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and data theft capabilities. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can gain root access to the device, enabling them to modify system files, install malicious applications, monitor user activities, and extract sensitive information from the device's storage. The widespread adoption of MediaTek chipsets across Android devices means that numerous manufacturers and device models are potentially affected, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through kernel exploits and persistence mechanisms that can be leveraged to maintain long-term access to compromised devices. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require special user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through malicious applications that users might legitimately install.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0827 focus on both immediate patching and defensive measures. The primary solution involves applying the official Android kernel patches released by Google and MediaTek, which address the buffer overflow condition through proper input validation and size checking mechanisms. Device manufacturers must ensure timely deployment of these security updates to protect their user base. Additionally, implementing kernel hardening techniques such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and kernel address space protection can significantly reduce the exploitability of similar vulnerabilities. Network administrators and security teams should monitor for suspicious application behavior and implement application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized code execution. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in kernel development, emphasizing the need for input validation, proper memory management, and adherence to security standards such as those outlined in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog and the MITRE ATT&CK framework for threat analysis.