Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2016-8393
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Synaptics touchscreen driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as High because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.10. Android ID: A-31911920.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceAn elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Synaptics touchscreen driver for Android on Kernel-3.10. A local malicious application can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code within kernel context, bypassing standard Android permission boundaries.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
= 3.10CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the kernel versionRun 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to determine the exact kernel versionAffected if The kernel version is exactly 3.10 (no other versions are listed as affected)
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Confirm the operating system is AndroidCheck if the system is running Android (check /system/build.prop or 'getprop ro.build.version.release')Affected if The device runs Android with a kernel-3.10 base (this CVE is specific to Android)
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Locate the Synaptics touchscreen driverCheck for Synaptics driver modules in /sys/bus/i2c/drivers/ or /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/input/touchscreen/, or run 'lsmod' to list loaded modulesAffected if A Synaptics touchscreen driver module is loaded or present on the system
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Check driver version if availableExamine driver files for version strings using 'modinfo' on the Synaptics module or inspect driver files directlyAffected if The driver version cannot be determined or is older than the patched version (the specific fixed version is not listed in CVE details)
A system is affected only if it runs Android with kernel version exactly 3.10 and has a Synaptics touchscreen driver loaded - both conditions must be true.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the appropriate Android security patch level containing the fix for A-31911920, which typically involves updating the Synaptics touchscreen driver or kernel. Users should ensure their devices receive regular security updates.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-8393 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-8393 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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