CVE-2014-9885 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
Format string vulnerability in drivers/thermal/qpnp-adc-tm.c in the Qualcomm components in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 5 devices allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application that provides format string specifiers in a name, aka Android internal bug 28769959 and Qualcomm internal bug CR562261.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9885 represents a critical format string vulnerability within the Qualcomm components of Android operating systems, specifically affecting devices running Android versions prior to 2016-08-05 including the Nexus 5. This flaw exists within the drivers/thermal/qpnp-adc-tm.c file, which is part of the Qualcomm Platform Noise Processing (QPnP) ADC Thermal Monitor driver responsible for handling temperature monitoring and thermal management functions in Qualcomm-based devices. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and handling of user-supplied data within the kernel-level driver, creating a pathway for privilege escalation attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious application provides format string specifiers in a name parameter that gets processed by the vulnerable driver code. This particular flaw falls under CWE-134 which specifically addresses the use of format strings without proper validation, where attacker-controlled data is passed directly to formatting functions such as printf or sprintf. The vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate the format string processing mechanism to read arbitrary memory locations, potentially leading to information disclosure, or to write data to arbitrary memory addresses, resulting in privilege escalation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level where the highest privileges are available, enabling attackers to execute code with system-level privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with a pathway to achieve privilege escalation from regular application level access to full system-level control. The vulnerability affects devices that utilize Qualcomm's QPnP ADC Thermal Monitor driver, which is commonly found in Android devices from manufacturers including Google's Nexus series, Samsung Galaxy devices, and various other Android smartphones and tablets that rely on Qualcomm chipsets. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass security restrictions, access sensitive system information, modify system files, and potentially install malicious applications with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no special privileges to exploit, as the vulnerable driver is accessible to regular applications through standard Android APIs, making it an attractive target for malicious actors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve applying the security patches released by Google and Qualcomm as part of the Android Security Bulletin for August 2016, which included fixes for the QPnP ADC Thermal Monitor driver. Device users should ensure their systems are updated to Android versions that contain these patches, specifically Android 6.0 and later versions that include the necessary kernel-level fixes. Organizations and individuals should also implement proper security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be used to establish persistent backdoors on affected devices. The fix implemented by Qualcomm and Google involved proper validation of input parameters before processing them as format strings, ensuring that attacker-controlled data cannot be used to manipulate the formatting functions. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in kernel-level drivers and the need for thorough code reviews and security testing of device drivers that handle user input, particularly those operating at privileged system levels. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of addressing security issues in embedded systems and mobile platforms where kernel-level vulnerabilities can have far-reaching consequences for device security and user privacy.