Elevating the TrustZone to Achieve a Powerful Android Kernel Exploit

Explore an innovative approach to Android kernel exploitation in this 44-minute conference talk from Nullcon Goa 2022. Discover how leveraging the TrustZone, a higher privileged component, can overcome existing security mitigations and create a 100% reliable exploit. Learn about CVE-2021-1961, a vulnerability found in the Android kernel, and the unique exploitation method used. Delve into the communication protocol between the kernel and Qualcomm TrustZone (QSEE), identifying its weaknesses. Gain insights on why this technique bypasses current and potentially future mitigations, and how to begin your own research in this area. Understand the challenges of kernel exploitation in mobile security and how this method addresses issues of reliability and adaptability across different devices and versions.