CVE-2015-9035 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, a memory buffer fails to be freed after it is no longer needed potentially resulting in memory exhaustion.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9035 represents a critical memory management flaw affecting Qualcomm products that utilize Android-based systems with Linux kernel implementations. This issue stems from improper memory deallocation practices within the kernel-level components that govern how memory buffers are handled during system operations. The flaw specifically manifests when memory buffers allocated for system processes fail to be properly released back to the system memory pool after their intended use has concluded, creating a persistent memory leak scenario that can accumulate over time and eventually lead to system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of memory corruption and resource exhaustion attacks, which are categorized under CWE-401 as "Improper Release of Memory Before Removing Last Reference" and also aligns with CWE-772 for "Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime." The flaw occurs at the kernel level where memory allocation functions successfully reserve memory for specific operations but fail to execute the corresponding deallocation routines, resulting in memory fragmentation and progressive resource depletion. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in embedded systems and mobile devices where memory resources are constrained and system stability directly impacts user experience and device functionality.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-9035 extends beyond simple performance degradation to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. When memory exhaustion occurs due to this flaw, it can lead to system crashes, application failures, and in severe cases, complete device lockups that require manual intervention or reboot cycles. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability to perform denial-of-service attacks against Qualcomm-based devices by repeatedly triggering the memory leak conditions, thereby creating a persistent state where the device becomes unresponsive to normal operations. This vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm products including smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices that rely on Android operating systems and Qualcomm's proprietary kernel implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9035 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers and Qualcomm itself, as these patches typically include proper memory deallocation routines and enhanced memory management protocols. System administrators and security teams should implement monitoring solutions to track memory usage patterns and identify potential exploitation attempts, while also establishing baseline performance metrics to detect anomalous memory consumption that may indicate vulnerability exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1499 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" and T1070 for "Indicator Removal on Host" as attackers may attempt to mask the effects of memory exhaustion attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing memory monitoring tools and establishing incident response procedures specifically designed to address resource exhaustion scenarios, particularly in environments where Qualcomm-based devices are deployed. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts while ensuring that affected devices can be isolated and patched without disrupting broader operational systems.