CVE-2016-10448
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows memory corruption in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets used in Android devices when simultaneous commands are sent to addSA or updateSA APIs without proper mutex protection. Attackers could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. Affected devices include many Android smartphones and wearables using specified Qualcomm chipsets.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets: MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, SDX20
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Device crash/reboot (denial of service) or limited memory corruption leading to instability.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched; unpatched devices remain vulnerable to exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering simultaneous API calls, which may require app installation or network access. No public exploit code known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security patch level April 5, 2018 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-04-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check device settings > About phone > Android security patch level. 2. If before April 2018, install latest Android security update via Settings > System > System update. 3. Restart device after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable services
androidDisable IPsec/VPN services if not needed to reduce attack surface
Network segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Replace affected devices with newer models that have April 2018 or later security patches
- Implement strict app installation policies and network filtering to reduce exploitation risk
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android security patch level in Settings > About phone. If date is before April 5, 2018, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Android security patch level shows April 2018 or later date.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel crashes, memory corruption errors in system logs
- Multiple simultaneous IPsec SA modification attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual IPsec/VPN traffic patterns
- Multiple SA modification requests from single source
SIEM Query:
Device logs showing kernel panics or memory errors on Android devices with pre-April 2018 security patches