CVE-2014-9978 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, a buffer overflow vulnerability exists in a QTEE service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9978 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within Qualcomm's Trusted Execution Environment (QTEE) service component. This flaw affects all Qualcomm products that incorporate Android releases from the Code Aurora Forum (CAF) and utilize the Linux kernel as their underlying operating system framework. The QTEE service operates as a secure execution environment designed to protect sensitive operations and data processing tasks, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for mobile device security. The buffer overflow occurs within the service's handling of input data, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious actors to write beyond allocated memory boundaries.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of Buffer Overflow, specifically manifesting as a heap-based buffer overflow within the kernel space of Qualcomm's Android implementations. The technical flaw arises from inadequate validation of input parameters passed to the QTEE service, enabling attackers to craft malicious payloads that can overwrite adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the kernel space, providing potential attackers with elevated privileges and access to the secure execution environment. Attackers can exploit this weakness through carefully crafted inputs that trigger the buffer overflow condition, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the trusted execution environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9978 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it compromises the fundamental security guarantees provided by the Trusted Execution Environment. This vulnerability enables attackers to bypass security mechanisms designed to isolate sensitive operations and protect cryptographic keys, user credentials, and other confidential data. The exploitation of this flaw could result in complete device compromise, data theft, or the installation of persistent backdoors within the secure execution environment. Mobile devices running affected Qualcomm chipsets become vulnerable to sophisticated attacks that can undermine the security model of the entire platform, affecting billions of users worldwide who rely on Qualcomm's mobile processors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Qualcomm products through firmware updates provided by device manufacturers. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The remediation process involves strengthening input validation mechanisms within the QTEE service and implementing proper bounds checking for all buffer operations. Security teams should also consider deploying additional runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and code integrity checks to prevent successful exploitation attempts. Given the nature of this vulnerability and its classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, defensive measures should include monitoring for unusual command execution patterns within the secure environment. Device manufacturers must ensure comprehensive testing of patched implementations to prevent regression issues while maintaining the integrity of the trusted execution environment.