CVE-2014-9977 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, a buffer overflow vulnerability exists in PlayReady DRM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9977 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the PlayReady Digital Rights Management implementation on Qualcomm-based Android devices. This issue affects all Qualcomm products that utilize the Linux kernel and incorporate Android releases from the Code Aurora Forum, creating a widespread impact across numerous mobile devices and embedded systems. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the DRM subsystem, specifically within the PlayReady component that handles digital rights management operations for multimedia content. The flaw exists at the intersection of hardware and software security controls, where the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and their associated kernel modules fail to properly validate buffer boundaries during DRM processing operations.
The technical nature of this buffer overflow vulnerability allows malicious actors to potentially execute arbitrary code within the context of the PlayReady DRM service. When the system processes specially crafted multimedia content or DRM manifests, the insufficient bounds checking permits data to overwrite adjacent memory regions, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system compromise. This vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the Linux kernel environment, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the core operating system functionality. The flaw is classified as a CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow, where the vulnerability occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer allocated on the stack, creating opportunities for memory corruption and code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects the fundamental security model of Android devices running Qualcomm hardware. Attackers could leverage this weakness to bypass DRM protections, potentially enabling unauthorized access to premium content or creating backdoors within the device's security framework. The vulnerability affects devices that rely on Qualcomm's proprietary DRM implementations, which are prevalent in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Given that PlayReady is a widely deployed DRM solution for enterprise and consumer multimedia content, the potential for exploitation spans across various industries including entertainment, enterprise software distribution, and digital publishing platforms. The vulnerability's presence in the Linux kernel components means that successful exploitation could result in complete device compromise, allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges and potentially access sensitive user data or system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9977 should focus on both immediate patching and architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future. Qualcomm and Android device manufacturers must prioritize the deployment of kernel-level patches that address the buffer overflow conditions within the PlayReady implementation. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address kernel-level vulnerabilities. The remediation process must consider the complex interdependencies between hardware components, kernel modules, and software applications within the Qualcomm ecosystem. Security teams should also implement runtime protection mechanisms and memory corruption detection tools to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and comprehensive security testing of kernel modules, particularly those handling sensitive multimedia content processing. This case study demonstrates the critical need for continuous security assessment of embedded systems and the importance of addressing vulnerabilities in proprietary components that form the foundation of device security.