CVE-2014-9958 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Qualcomm closed source components. Product: Android. Versions: Android kernel. Android ID: A-36384774.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9958 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Qualcomm's closed source components that affect the Android kernel. This issue stems from improper access control mechanisms within the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor's kernel modules, specifically within the closed source driver components that handle hardware abstraction and system-level operations. The vulnerability allows a malicious application with standard user privileges to escalate its privileges to that of the system user, effectively bypassing Android's security model and gaining unrestricted access to system resources.
The technical flaw manifests through a weakness in the kernel-level implementation of Qualcomm's proprietary hardware drivers, particularly those managing secure boot processes and hardware security modules. The vulnerability occurs when the system fails to properly validate access permissions for certain kernel interfaces that are exposed to user-space applications. This misconfiguration allows an attacker to manipulate kernel data structures or invoke privileged system calls through crafted input parameters, effectively creating a path for privilege escalation. The flaw is categorized under CWE-276 as improper permissions and access control, specifically manifesting in the kernel's handling of secure hardware interfaces.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to Android devices running affected Qualcomm chipsets, as it enables attackers to gain root access without requiring physical device compromise or specialized exploitation techniques. Once exploited, the attacker can modify system files, install malicious applications with system-level privileges, access encrypted data, and potentially disable security features. The vulnerability affects all Android versions that utilize Qualcomm's closed source kernel components, making it particularly widespread across the Android ecosystem. This type of flaw directly impacts the Android security model's integrity and can lead to complete device compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor access.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' through kernel-level attacks. Security researchers have documented that this flaw can be leveraged through malicious applications that utilize system call manipulation or memory corruption techniques to achieve the privilege escalation. Organizations and device manufacturers must address this vulnerability through firmware updates and kernel patches that properly enforce access controls for Qualcomm's closed source components. The recommended mitigations include immediate deployment of security patches from device manufacturers, implementation of runtime integrity checks, and enhanced monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities. Additionally, users should avoid installing untrusted applications and keep their devices updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of this critical privilege escalation vulnerability.