CVE-2014-7917 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in SampleTable.cpp in libstagefright in Android before 5.0.0 has unspecified impact and attack vectors, aka internal bug 15342615.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7917 represents a critical integer overflow condition within the SampleTable.cpp component of libstagefright, a core multimedia framework in Android operating systems. This flaw exists in versions prior to Android 5.0.0 and was internally tracked as bug 15342615, highlighting the severity and complexity of the issue. The libstagefright library serves as the foundation for multimedia processing in Android, handling various media formats including mp4, 3gp, and other container formats through its implementation of the Advanced Systems Format and related multimedia protocols.
The technical implementation of this integer overflow occurs within the SampleTable.cpp file where improper handling of integer values during media parsing operations can lead to memory corruption. When processing malformed multimedia files, the library fails to properly validate integer values used for buffer allocation and array indexing, creating conditions where arithmetic operations can exceed maximum representable values. This overflow can result in unexpected behavior during memory allocation, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability specifically affects the way the library processes sample tables within multimedia containers, where sample sizes and offsets are parsed and used for subsequent memory operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation or denial of service scenarios. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially malformed multimedia files that trigger the integer overflow condition when processed by vulnerable Android devices. This creates a remote code execution vector through various attack surfaces including email attachments, web downloads, and multimedia content shared through social platforms. The vulnerability affects all Android devices running versions prior to 5.0.0, representing a significant attack surface given the widespread deployment of older Android versions. The unspecified impact and attack vectors mentioned in the CVE description indicate that multiple exploitation techniques may be possible, potentially including heap-based memory corruption and control flow hijacking.
Security researchers have categorized this vulnerability under CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in multimedia processing libraries, as the integer overflow can be leveraged to manipulate memory structures and potentially gain unauthorized access to device resources. Organizations and device manufacturers should prioritize immediate patch deployment for affected Android versions, while security teams should implement network-based detection measures to identify and block potentially malicious multimedia content targeting this vulnerability. The remediation process requires updating to Android 5.0.0 or later versions where the integer overflow handling has been properly addressed through improved validation mechanisms and safer arithmetic operations within the libstagefright framework.
This vulnerability exemplifies the broader security challenges in mobile multimedia processing systems, where complex parsing logic combined with insufficient input validation creates opportunities for sophisticated exploitation. The integer overflow in SampleTable.cpp demonstrates how seemingly benign multimedia processing operations can become attack vectors when proper safeguards are absent, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of multimedia frameworks in mobile operating systems.