CVE-2011-1416 in Blackberry Torch 9800
Summary
by MITRE
The Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry Torch 9800 with firmware 6.0.0.246 allows attackers to read the contents of memory locations via unknown vectors, as demonstrated by Vincenzo Iozzo, Willem Pinckaers, and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann during a Pwn2Own competition at CanSecWest 2011.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1416 represents a critical memory disclosure flaw affecting the BlackBerry Torch 9800 device running firmware version 6.0.0.246. This issue was publicly demonstrated at the Pwn2Own competition held at CanSecWest 2011 by security researchers Vincenzo Iozzo, Willem Pinckaers, and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann, highlighting the device's susceptibility to unauthorized memory access. The vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure flaws that can potentially expose sensitive data stored in device memory, creating significant security implications for users and organizations relying on BlackBerry enterprise communication platforms.
The technical nature of this memory disclosure vulnerability involves unknown attack vectors that allow malicious actors to access memory locations that should remain protected from unauthorized reading. While the specific technical implementation details were not fully disclosed in the public CVE description, such memory disclosure vulnerabilities typically arise from improper memory management, lack of proper access controls, or insufficient input validation mechanisms within the device's operating system or applications. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the device's memory protection mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive information including cryptographic keys, user credentials, application data, or other confidential information stored in memory. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which defines information exposure as a weakness where system information is exposed to unauthorized actors.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1416 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass potential compromise of entire communication channels and user privacy. For enterprise users, this vulnerability could lead to the exposure of sensitive corporate communications, intellectual property, or confidential business data that may have been stored in volatile memory. The ability to read memory contents provides attackers with potential access to session tokens, encryption keys, or other critical data elements that could enable further attacks including session hijacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, or privilege escalation within the device's operating environment. Given that BlackBerry devices were widely used in enterprise settings during this period, the implications of such a vulnerability were particularly severe as it could compromise entire corporate communication infrastructures.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory protection mechanisms in mobile operating systems and the necessity of comprehensive security testing for enterprise mobile devices. The fact that this vulnerability was demonstrated at a major security conference like Pwn2Own indicates that it represents a significant weakness in the device's security architecture that could be exploited by sophisticated attackers. Organizations should consider implementing additional network monitoring and endpoint protection measures to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all mobile devices are kept up to date with the latest security patches and firmware updates from RIM. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for robust memory management and access control mechanisms in mobile platforms, particularly those handling sensitive enterprise data. Organizations using BlackBerry devices should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional security controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities and maintain overall security posture against similar memory-based attacks.