CVE-2017-15316 in Mate 9
Summary
by MITRE
The GPU driver of Mate 9 Huawei smart phones with software before MHA-AL00B 8.0.0.334(C00) and Mate 9 Pro Huawei smart phones with software before LON-AL00B 8.0.0.334(C00) has a memory double free vulnerability. An attacker tricks a user into installing a malicious application, and the application can call special API, which triggers double free and causes a system crash or arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15316 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the graphics processing unit driver of Huawei Mate 9 and Mate 9 Pro smartphones. This issue affects devices running software versions prior to MHA-AL00B 8.0.0.334(C00) for Mate 9 models and LON-AL00B 8.0.0.334(C00) for Mate 9 Pro models, creating a persistent security risk that extends beyond typical application boundaries. The flaw resides in the GPU driver component responsible for handling graphics rendering operations and hardware acceleration tasks that are fundamental to mobile device performance and user experience.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the GPU driver's application programming interface, specifically when processing certain graphics commands or rendering operations. This double free condition occurs when the same memory block is deallocated twice through different code paths within the driver's execution flow, creating a scenario where the memory management system becomes corrupted. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious application successfully invokes specific API calls that trigger the problematic code path, leading to the improper deallocation of memory resources that were previously allocated for GPU operations. According to CWE standards, this represents a classic double free vulnerability classified under CWE-415, which occurs when a program frees the same memory block twice, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the heap structure and execute arbitrary code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, creating a comprehensive attack surface that allows for both system compromise and persistent exploitation. When triggered, the double free condition can cause immediate system crashes or more insidiously lead to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the device's entire operating environment. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince users to install malicious applications, but once installed, the vulnerability can be exploited without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous. The exploitation process leverages the GPU driver's privilege level to execute code with system-level permissions, enabling attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and potentially access sensitive user data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate patch deployment and comprehensive security hardening measures for affected devices. Huawei released firmware updates addressing this issue in the specified software versions, but users must actively install these patches to protect their devices from exploitation. The recommended approach involves implementing robust application sandboxing mechanisms that prevent malicious applications from accessing privileged GPU driver APIs, while also establishing memory integrity checks that can detect and prevent double free conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including privilege escalation through driver exploitation and code injection via system-level API calls. Organizations and users should implement device management policies that enforce automatic security updates, conduct regular security assessments of installed applications, and maintain network monitoring capabilities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of secure development practices in mobile driver code, particularly around memory management and API validation, as outlined in industry security standards and best practices for embedded system security.