CVE-2014-9990 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 600, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 808, SD 810, and SD 450, lack of input validation could lead to an out of bound array access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2020
This vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable chipsets affecting Android devices with security patch levels prior to 2018-04-05. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs due to insufficient input validation mechanisms within the affected hardware components. The vulnerability specifically impacts a wide range of Snapdragon SoC models including MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MSM8909W, and various SD series processors from SD 210 through SD 810. The root cause lies in the improper bounds checking of array accesses within the chipset's firmware or driver components, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit memory access violations. This vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient input validation leading to buffer overflows, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers exploitation of remote services and system vulnerabilities. The out of bounds array access can potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, particularly when the vulnerable code path is reachable through legitimate system interfaces or user interactions. Given the widespread adoption of these Qualcomm chipsets across numerous Android smartphone and wearable devices, the potential impact extends to millions of affected endpoints globally. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it resides at the hardware level within the chipset firmware rather than in the Android operating system itself, making traditional OS-level mitigations less effective. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to device resources, escalate privileges, or execute malicious payloads that persist across system reboots. The exploitation typically requires an attacker to trigger specific conditions that cause the vulnerable code path to execute with controlled input data that exceeds the allocated array boundaries. This type of vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of comprehensive security testing at all levels of the software stack, including hardware firmware components, as vulnerabilities in lower-level system components can have far-reaching consequences for end-user security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate array bounds checking mechanisms within the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets' memory management subsystems. When legitimate applications or system processes interact with these vulnerable hardware components, they may pass input data that exceeds predetermined array dimensions, leading to memory corruption and potential code execution. The affected processors operate under the assumption that input data will always conform to expected parameters, without proper validation checks that would detect and reject malformed inputs. This design flaw creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially overwrite critical system structures or execute malicious code sequences. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires precise control over input parameters and may involve techniques such as stack smashing or heap corruption to achieve the desired malicious outcomes. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability affects both user-space applications and kernel-level drivers, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially be exploited to compromise the entire system security posture. The lack of proper input validation creates a fundamental weakness in the chipset's security architecture that extends beyond simple memory protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially affect entire device ecosystems and user data security. Mobile devices utilizing affected Snapdragon chipsets become susceptible to persistent threats that can maintain access even after system updates or reboots. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed hardware components means that attackers can target specific device models or chipset variants with greater probability of success. Organizations and individuals using affected devices face increased risk of data breaches, privacy violations, and potential surveillance capabilities. The vulnerability's exploitation could enable attackers to access sensitive information stored on devices, intercept communications, or establish persistent backdoors for continued access. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability as part of broader threat modeling exercises, particularly when assessing risks associated with mobile device management and enterprise security policies. The widespread deployment of these chipsets across various device manufacturers means that the vulnerability affects multiple vendors and device types, complicating mitigation efforts and requiring coordinated responses from chipset manufacturers and device vendors. The vulnerability also highlights the challenges of securing hardware-level components where traditional software-based security measures may prove insufficient.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require a multi-layered approach addressing both hardware and software components. Device manufacturers should prioritize immediate firmware updates and security patches that address the specific buffer overflow conditions in affected Qualcomm chipsets. System administrators and users should ensure that all devices are updated to the latest security patches available from their respective vendors, particularly those released after the 2018-04-05 security update cycle. Network security teams should implement monitoring solutions that can detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability, including unusual memory access patterns or system behavior anomalies. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected devices within their networks and implement appropriate access controls and network segmentation strategies. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the need for continuous monitoring of hardware-level security issues. Device manufacturers should enhance their security testing procedures to include more rigorous input validation and memory management checks, particularly for firmware components that operate at the hardware level. Additionally, security professionals should consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting buffer overflow conditions, including stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and other memory protection techniques. The vulnerability also emphasizes the critical need for collaboration between chipset vendors, operating system developers, and security researchers to ensure comprehensive security coverage across the entire software and hardware stack.