# CVE-2016-8467: Privilege escalation in Android

> A local attacker can exploit a bootloader flaw to execute arbitrary modem commands, leading to privilege escalation and permanent device denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Jan 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mrqg-m8w4-cprx, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-8467

## What is CVE-2016-8467?

CVE-2016-8467 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 13 Jan 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the bootloader could enable a local attacker to execute arbitrary modem commands on the device. This issue is rated as High because it is a local permanent denial of service (device interoperability: completely permanent or requiring re-flashing the entire operating system). Product: Android. Versions: N/A. Android ID: A-30308784.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8467?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8467?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8467 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8467 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8467 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- This app checks if you're vulnerable to CVE-2016-8467 and/or if your bootmode property has been tampered with. (github_poc): https://github.com/roeeh/bootmodechecker

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8467 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8467 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 13 Jan 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8467 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8467/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8467/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8467
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8467
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8467

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8467/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.