CVE-2014-9974 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, validation of buffer lengths was missing in Keymaster.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9974 represents a critical security flaw within Qualcomm's implementation of the Android Keymaster cryptographic service. This issue affects all Qualcomm products that utilize Android releases from the Code Aurora Forum (CAF) and operate on the Linux kernel platform. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms specifically within the Keymaster subsystem, which is responsible for managing cryptographic keys and performing secure operations on mobile devices. Keymaster serves as a fundamental component in Android's hardware-backed security architecture, providing essential services for encryption, decryption, and digital signature operations that protect sensitive user data and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing validation of buffer lengths within the Keymaster implementation, creating a potential buffer overflow condition that could be exploited by malicious actors. This absence of proper boundary checking allows attackers to potentially supply oversized data inputs that exceed the allocated buffer space, leading to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability particularly affects the secure key storage and cryptographic operation processing within Qualcomm's mobile platforms, where the Linux kernel serves as the underlying operating system framework. The missing validation occurs during the processing of cryptographic key operations, where the system fails to verify that input parameters conform to expected size limits before attempting to store or process the data within fixed-size memory buffers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple buffer overflow exploitation, as it compromises the fundamental security guarantees provided by Android's hardware-backed key storage. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to bypass cryptographic protections, extract sensitive keys from secure enclaves, or execute malicious code with elevated privileges within the secure execution environment. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire cryptographic ecosystem on affected Qualcomm devices, potentially allowing adversaries to impersonate legitimate applications, decrypt protected communications, or gain unauthorized access to secure data repositories. This weakness undermines the trust model that Android's Keymaster service is designed to maintain, particularly in scenarios involving secure boot processes, encrypted storage, and hardware-based security features that rely on proper buffer management.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9974 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms within the Keymaster subsystem to ensure all buffer lengths are properly checked before processing. Organizations should prioritize updating Qualcomm firmware and Android system images to versions that include corrected buffer validation routines, following the vendor's security advisory releases. The implementation of runtime protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and memory protection features can provide additional defense-in-depth layers against exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their mobile device management systems to identify affected devices and implement immediate remediation measures. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input buffers, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1059 for execution through compromised cryptographic services. The remediation process requires careful coordination between device manufacturers, mobile operators, and security vendors to ensure comprehensive coverage of affected platforms and prevent exploitation attempts targeting the hardware-based security infrastructure.