CVE-2017-8141 in P10 Plus
Summary
by MITRE
The Touch Panel (TP) driver in P10 Plus smart phones with software versions earlier than VKY-AL00C00B153 has a memory double free vulnerability. An attacker with the root privilege of the Android system tricks a user into installing a malicious application, and the application can start multiple threads and try to free specific memory, which could triggers double free and causes a system crash or arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8141 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Touch Panel driver component of Huawei P10 Plus smartphones running affected software versions. This issue manifests as a double free vulnerability that occurs within the kernel-level driver responsible for handling touch panel input operations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only root privileges within the Android system to exploit, making it accessible to attackers who have already compromised the device's operating environment. The touch panel driver serves as a fundamental interface between hardware input and the Android system, processing user interactions through the touchscreen interface.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation within the TP driver's code structure. When malicious applications are installed and executed with root privileges, they can manipulate the driver's memory management functions to trigger multiple free operations on the same memory block. This double free condition occurs when the same memory address is passed to the free function twice, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers. The vulnerability is specifically triggered when applications spawn multiple threads that attempt to free specific memory regions simultaneously, creating a race condition that corrupts the heap management structures. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-415, which categorizes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, potentially enabling complete system compromise through arbitrary code execution. When the double free condition occurs, it can cause the Android system to crash or become unresponsive, resulting in denial of service attacks that render the device unusable. More critically, the memory corruption created by the double free can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over the device. This vulnerability affects the core operating system functionality since the touch panel driver is essential for user interaction with the device, making the exploitation particularly dangerous. The attack vector requires minimal user interaction beyond installing a malicious application, as the exploitation occurs automatically when the system processes touch input events.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8141 focus primarily on software updates and system hardening measures. The most effective solution involves updating the affected Huawei P10 Plus devices to software versions that contain patches addressing the double free vulnerability in the TP driver. Security researchers recommend implementing proper memory management practices such as maintaining proper reference counting and using memory sanitization tools to detect similar issues. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from being installed on Android devices. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel-level memory management and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of device drivers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and system compromise operations, as attackers can leverage the double free condition to gain elevated system privileges. Device manufacturers should implement robust code review processes and memory safety testing protocols to prevent similar issues in future software releases, particularly focusing on kernel drivers that handle critical system interfaces.