CVE-2017-6424 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm WiFi driver. Product: Android. Versions: Android kernel. Android ID: A-32086742. References: QC-CR#1102648.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6424 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Qualcomm WiFi driver component of Android systems. This issue resides in the Android kernel and affects the underlying operating system's security model, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level access. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the WiFi driver's kernel module, which processes network-related data and commands from user-space applications.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves a buffer overflow condition that occurs when the Qualcomm WiFi driver processes malformed network packets or specific ioctl commands. The vulnerability manifests through insufficient bounds checking in kernel memory allocation routines, allowing attackers to overwrite critical kernel memory locations. This memory corruption can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing Android's security boundaries and access controls. The flaw specifically affects the driver's handling of wireless network configuration parameters and packet processing routines, where insufficient validation permits malicious inputs to trigger the overflow condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete system control capabilities. Once exploited, adversaries can gain root access to the device, enabling them to modify system files, install malicious applications, access encrypted data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, as it can be triggered through network-based attacks or by manipulating network configuration parameters. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where users may unknowingly connect to compromised networks or receive malicious network packets through various attack vectors.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the exploitation of legitimate credentials and privileges to gain system-level access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including kernel updates, driver patches from Qualcomm, and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in kernel modules and the necessity of thorough security testing for device drivers that operate with elevated privileges. The Android security team addressed this issue through kernel-level patches and improved input validation mechanisms in subsequent security updates, emphasizing the critical nature of driver-level security in mobile operating systems.