CVE-2016-11026

Vulnerability

On Samsung mobile devices running Android KK (4.4), L (5.0/5.1), and M (6.0), the BootReceiver component mishandles exceptions during boot processing. This vulnerability, identified by Samsung ID SVE-2016-7118 and reported in December 2016, allows an attacker to trigger a system crash by reaching a code path where an exception is improperly caught or propagated, leading to an unhandled fault [1].

Exploitation

An attacker must have the ability to deliver a crafted input or set of conditions that the BootReceiver processes during system startup. No authentication is required if the attacker can influence boot-time events (e.g., via a malicious application or modified boot files), though local access or a preceding compromise may be necessary. The exploitation sequence involves the attacker causing the BootReceiver to encounter an exception that the flawed handler does not appropriately manage, resulting in a crash [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation results in a denial of service condition: the device hangs or reboots uncontrollably due to the uncaught exception. This can prevent normal device operation until a manual reset or intervention occurs. There is no disclosure of sensitive data or code execution described in the available references [1].

Mitigation

Samsung addressed this vulnerability via a security update in December 2016, as indicated by the Samsung Mobile Security update process. Affected users should ensure devices are running the latest firmware for their respective Android versions (KK, L, M). No workarounds are documented in the public references, and the update is the recommended remediation [1].