Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2016-8458
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, Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-31968442.
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 · high confidenceElevation of privilege vulnerability in the Synaptics touchscreen driver allows a local malicious application that has already compromised a privileged process to execute arbitrary code within kernel context. The driver fails to properly validate permissions or input, enabling kernel-level code execution. Affected versions include Kernel-3.10 and Kernel-3.18 on Android.
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
= 3.10= 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 kernel versionRun 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to determine the exact kernel version stringAffected if Kernel version equals 3.10.x or 3.18.x on an Android device
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Confirm Android environmentCheck for Android-specific indicators such as /system/build.prop, Android version via 'getprop ro.build.version.release', or verify the presence of Android-specific directoriesAffected if Device is running Android OS with Kernel 3.10 or 3.18
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Locate Synaptics touchscreen driverCheck for presence of Synaptics driver modules: look for files containing 'synaptics' in /lib/modules/ or check lsmod output for loaded synaptics-related modules; also examine /dev/input/ for synaptics touch controllersAffected if Synaptics touchscreen driver is present or loaded on the system
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Identify Synaptics hardwareCheck device inputs via 'cat /proc/bus/input/devices' or examine USB/Bus device listings for Synaptics touchpad/touchscreen hardware identifiersAffected if Device contains Synaptics touch hardware and the matching driver is loaded
Device is affected if it runs Android with Kernel 3.10 or 3.18, has a Synaptics touchscreen driver loaded, and the underlying vendor patch A-31968442 has not been applied.
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 vendor security patch (Google/Android patch level) that addresses A-31968442. For end-of-life devices, consider network segmentation or device replacement, as the underlying driver code requires vendor-supplied updates.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $6,720.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-8458 — 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-2016-8458 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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