CVE-2014-9874 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Qualcomm components in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 5, 5X, 6P, and 7 (2013) devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, related to arch/arm/mach-msm/qdsp6v2/audio_utils.c and sound/soc/msm/qdsp6v2/q6asm.c, aka Android internal bug 28751152 and Qualcomm internal bug CR563086.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset components that power several Android devices including the Nexus 5, 5X, 6P, and 2013 Nexus 7 models. The issue stems from improper input validation in the audio processing subsystem, specifically within the qdsp6v2 audio utilities and audio stream management components. The vulnerability manifests in the arch/arm/mach-msm/qdsp6v2/audio_utils.c and sound/soc/msm/qdsp6v2/q6asm.c source files, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory regions. This type of flaw falls under CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checking occurs in the handling of data buffers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level within the Qualcomm MSM (Multi-System Module) architecture, providing attackers with a pathway to escalate privileges from a regular application to system-level access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. Attackers can craft malicious applications that exploit the buffer overflow to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing standard Android security mechanisms including SELinux policies and application sandboxing. The flaw's exploitation requires a crafted application that sends malformed audio data to the vulnerable components, which then processes this data without proper boundary checks. This attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and demonstrates how vulnerabilities in system-level components can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability affects devices running Android versions prior to the 2016-08-05 security patch, making it particularly dangerous for users who have not updated their systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of audio processing streams through the Qualcomm QDSP6v2 subsystem, which handles audio data processing for mobile devices. When a malicious application sends specially crafted audio data to the vulnerable components, the buffer overflow allows attackers to overwrite critical memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. This memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution, enabling attackers to modify system files, install malicious software, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's classification as a kernel-level issue means that successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, as the attacker gains access to the underlying hardware abstraction layer and can manipulate system resources directly. The exploitability of this vulnerability is further enhanced by the fact that it does not require physical access to the device, making it a significant concern for mobile device security. The Android security model relies on proper boundary checking and memory management, but this vulnerability demonstrates how a flaw in one subsystem can compromise the entire system integrity. Organizations and users must ensure timely patch deployment to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability represents a fundamental weakness in the device's security architecture that could be exploited for various malicious purposes including data theft, system surveillance, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.