Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2016-8435
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 NVIDIA GPU driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-32700935. References: N-CVE-2016-8435.
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 confidenceElevation of privilege vulnerability in NVIDIA GPU driver for Android (Kernel 3.18) allowing a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within kernel context, achieving root-level device control with potential for permanent compromise requiring OS reflash.
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
= 3.18CVSS 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 running Linux kernel versionAffected if Kernel version is exactly 3.18 (or contains 3.18 in the version string)
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Confirm NVIDIA GPU driver presenceCheck for NVIDIA GPU-related modules or drivers using 'lsmod' or by examining /proc/modules for NVIDIA-related entries such as 'nvidia' or 'NVIDIA'Affected if An NVIDIA GPU driver module is loaded on the system
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Identify NVIDIA driver versionUse 'cat /sys/module/nvidia/version' or check /proc/driver/nvidia/version if available, or inspect the driver file metadataAffected if The NVIDIA driver version matches the vulnerable version range for Kernel 3.18 (compare to NVIDIA's security advisory for this CVE)
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Check for exploit indicatorsReview system logs (dmesg, logcat) for any suspicious kernel-level execution or privilege escalation attempts, and monitor for unexpected kernel module loadingAffected if Unexplained kernel activity or unauthorized modules are detected after the vulnerability disclosure date
A system is affected if it runs Linux Kernel 3.18 with an unpatched NVIDIA GPU driver for Android, as the elevation of privilege flaw allows kernel-level code execution.
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 NVIDIA GPU driver security patches via Android monthly security update; devices already compromised may require operating system reflash to restore integrity.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-8435 — 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-2016-8435 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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