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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8419 Linux CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8419 is a high-severity elevation-of-privilege issue affecting Android systems with the Qualcomm Wi‑Fi driver. According to the CVE description and Android security bulletin reference, a local malicious application could execute arbitrary code in the kernel context, but the issue is not a simple one-step local bug: the rating notes that exploitation first requires compromising a privileged process. For defenders, the practical concern is kernel-level impact on affected Android devices and Linux kernel 3.10/3.18 builds identified in the source record.

Vendor
Linux
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 7
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-08
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-08
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Android OEMs, device maintainers, kernel and platform security teams, and fleet administrators responsible for devices running affected Android releases or kernels 3.10/3.18 should prioritize this issue.

Technical summary

The source record describes an elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm Wi‑Fi driver. The CVSS vector supplied by NVD is AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating local attack requirements, high complexity, and user interaction. The CVE text states that a local malicious application could execute arbitrary code within the kernel context, and that exploitation first requires compromising a privileged process. NVD maps the affected Android range to versions up to 7.1.1 and also lists Linux kernel 3.10 and 3.18 as vulnerable CPEs.

Defensive priority

High. Kernel-context compromise is a severe outcome even when exploitation is constrained by high complexity and prerequisite privilege compromise.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Review the Android security bulletin referenced for this CVE and apply the vendor-provided fix or firmware update for affected devices.
  • Confirm whether any deployed Android devices or products use the affected Qualcomm Wi‑Fi driver path or the listed kernel versions 3.10 or 3.18.
  • Prioritize patching devices exposed to untrusted local code execution scenarios, especially managed fleets where user-installed applications are permitted.
  • Validate remediation by checking vendor build numbers and confirming that the affected Android release range (up to 7.1.1 in the NVD record) is no longer present.
  • Monitor for indicators of abnormal kernel crashes or Wi‑Fi driver instability on susceptible devices during rollout.

Evidence notes

Primary evidence comes from the NVD record for CVE-2016-8419, which lists the vulnerability as an Android/Qualcomm Wi‑Fi driver privilege escalation and includes the CVSS 3.0 vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The supplied record also references the Android security bulletin published at https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2017-02-01.html, plus third-party advisories for corroboration. Published date used here is 2017-02-08T15:59:00.393Z from the source corpus.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-8419 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8419

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-8419 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8419

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.