CVE-2014-9689 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
content/renderer/device_sensors/device_orientation_event_pump.cc in Google Chrome before 41.0.2272.76 does not properly restrict access to high-rate gyroscope data, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain speech signals from a device's physical environment via a crafted web site that listens for ondeviceorientation events, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-1231.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-9689 represents a significant security flaw in Google Chrome's implementation of device orientation sensor handling. This issue specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 41.0.2272.76 and stems from improper access controls within the device_sensors/device_orientation_event_pump.cc component. The flaw allows remote attackers to potentially access high-rate gyroscope data through malicious web pages that exploit the ondeviceorientation event listeners, creating a vector for environmental audio capture that extends beyond typical device sensor limitations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the device orientation event pump mechanism that processes sensor data from gyroscope hardware. When a web page registers for device orientation events, the system should properly throttle or restrict access to high-frequency sensor data to prevent excessive resource consumption and potential privacy violations. However, Chrome's implementation failed to adequately enforce these restrictions, allowing malicious sites to continuously poll gyroscope data at high rates. This excessive data access creates a potential attack surface where environmental audio signals can be extracted through sophisticated signal processing techniques that analyze the subtle vibrations and movements captured by the gyroscope sensors.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to potentially capture speech signals from a device's physical environment by leveraging the gyroscope's sensitivity to environmental vibrations. The attack vector involves crafting malicious web content that listens for device orientation events and processes the high-rate gyroscope data to extract audio information from the surrounding environment. This represents a significant privacy concern as it allows unauthorized collection of acoustic information without explicit user consent, effectively turning device sensors into unintended surveillance tools that can capture conversations and ambient sounds.
The vulnerability aligns with several cybersecurity frameworks and threat models, particularly those addressing sensor-based attacks and privacy violations. From a CWE perspective, this issue relates to improper access control mechanisms and insufficient input validation in sensor data processing systems. The attack pattern follows established methodologies described in the ATT&CK framework under techniques related to sensor access and data exfiltration. This vulnerability also demonstrates the broader category of side-channel attacks where physical device sensors are exploited to gather information beyond their intended purpose, similar to other sensor-based privacy threats identified in mobile security research.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require implementing proper access controls and data rate limiting for device orientation events. Browser vendors should enforce strict throttling mechanisms that prevent excessive polling of gyroscope data and ensure that high-rate sensor access is properly restricted to legitimate applications. Users should maintain updated browser versions to benefit from security patches that address these access control deficiencies. Additionally, web developers should be aware of the potential for sensor-based privacy attacks and implement appropriate safeguards when handling device orientation events in their applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for device sensor APIs and proper enforcement of access control policies for hardware-based data collection mechanisms.