CVE-2014-9881 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
drivers/media/radio/radio-iris.c in the Qualcomm components in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 7 (2013) devices uses an incorrect integer data type, which allows attackers to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (buffer overflow) via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28769368 and Qualcomm internal bug CR539008.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-9881 represents a critical integer type misconfiguration within the Qualcomm radio driver component of Android operating systems. This flaw exists in the radio-iris.c file which is part of the media drivers responsible for handling radio frequency operations on Nexus 7 (2013) devices. The issue stems from improper handling of integer data types during buffer operations, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation that can result in either privilege escalation or system denial of service conditions. The vulnerability specifically affects Android versions released before August 5th, 2016, making it a significant concern for older device deployments that may not have received proper security updates.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the incorrect use of integer data types within the kernel-level radio driver code. When processing radio frequency commands, the driver fails to properly validate or handle integer values, leading to potential buffer overflow conditions. This misconfiguration allows an attacker to craft malicious applications that manipulate integer values in ways that exceed buffer boundaries, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations. The flaw operates at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges to execute arbitrary code with system-level access. The integer overflow occurs during operations related to radio frequency data processing, where the driver incorrectly calculates buffer sizes or array indices based on improperly typed integer values.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass potential privilege escalation attacks that could compromise entire device security. Attackers leveraging this flaw could gain unauthorized access to system resources, potentially enabling them to install malicious applications, access sensitive user data, or even take complete control of the device. The vulnerability affects specifically Nexus 7 (2013) devices running affected Android versions, making these devices particularly susceptible to exploitation. Given that these devices were widely deployed and many may have remained unpatched, the potential attack surface for this vulnerability remains significant. The impact is further amplified by the fact that the exploit requires only a crafted application, meaning users could be compromised through seemingly legitimate software downloads or interactions.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily focus on applying the relevant Android security patches released by Google and Qualcomm. Device administrators should ensure that all Nexus 7 (2013) devices are updated to Android versions released after August 5th, 2016, which contain the necessary fixes for the integer type handling issue. The fix typically involves correcting the integer data type usage within the radio-iris.c driver code to properly validate buffer operations and prevent overflow conditions. Organizations managing legacy Android devices should implement comprehensive patch management policies and consider device retirement for systems that cannot receive security updates. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, and represents a classic example of how improper integer handling can lead to severe security consequences. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could be leveraged as part of broader attack chains targeting mobile device security. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper integer type validation in kernel-level drivers and highlights the need for thorough code review processes to prevent similar issues in mobile platform components.