CVE-2014-10043 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, and SD 800, while reading PlayReady rights string information from command buffer (which is sent from non-secure side), if length of rights string is very large, a buffer over read occurs, exposing TZ App memory to non-secure side.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2020
This vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable chipsets affecting Android versions prior to the 2018-04-05 security patch level. The flaw occurs within the TrustZone execution environment where secure and non-secure sides communicate through command buffers. When processing PlayReady rights string information transmitted from the non-secure side, the system fails to properly validate the length parameter, creating a condition where excessively large string lengths can trigger a buffer over-read scenario. This represents a classic security flaw that violates the fundamental principle of memory safety in secure execution environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the TrustZone firmware components responsible for handling multimedia rights management protocols. The buffer over-read allows unauthorized access to sensitive memory regions that should remain protected within the secure execution environment. This occurs because the system reads beyond the allocated buffer boundaries when processing the rights string length parameter, effectively exposing confidential data from the trusted application memory space to the non-secure side. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, which directly compromises the integrity of the secure enclave.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to extract potentially sensitive information from the TrustZone memory space, including cryptographic keys, authentication credentials, or other protected data. An attacker with access to the non-secure side could exploit this condition to gain unauthorized visibility into secure memory regions, potentially undermining the entire security model of the device. This vulnerability affects multiple Qualcomm chipsets including the MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, and SD 800 series, representing a widespread exposure across various Android mobile devices. The flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1547.001 for privilege escalation and T1005 for data hijacking.
Mitigation strategies include applying the official security patches released by Qualcomm and Android vendors, which address the buffer over-read condition through proper length validation and bounds checking. Device manufacturers should ensure all affected chipsets receive timely updates and implement robust input validation mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future firmware releases. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for any unauthorized memory access patterns and maintain continuous security assessments of TrustZone implementations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in secure execution environments and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of firmware components that handle sensitive data processing.