CVE-2015-9072 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, an untrusted pointer dereference can occur in a TrustZone syscall.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9072 represents a critical security flaw affecting Qualcomm products that utilize Android operating systems through the Linux kernel framework. This issue manifests within the TrustZone secure execution environment, which serves as a hardware-based security solution that provides a trusted execution environment for sensitive operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of system calls within the TrustZone domain, creating a potential pathway for attackers to exploit untrusted pointer dereferences that could lead to system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of input parameters within the TrustZone syscall handler. When the Linux kernel processes system calls from untrusted contexts, it fails to adequately validate pointer references that originate from user-space applications or less privileged domains. This flaw allows an attacker to craft malicious inputs that, when processed by the kernel's TrustZone interface, result in unauthorized memory access patterns. The untrusted pointer dereference occurs because the system does not properly sanitize or verify the validity of memory addresses before attempting to access them within the secure zone.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-9072 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security boundaries that TrustZone is designed to maintain. Attackers can potentially leverage this vulnerability to bypass secure execution environments, access sensitive cryptographic keys, or extract confidential information from the device's secure storage. The vulnerability affects all Qualcomm products utilizing Android releases from the Code Aurora Forum that implement the Linux kernel, creating a widespread exposure across numerous mobile devices, tablets, and other embedded systems that rely on Qualcomm's chipset architecture. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it impacts a large user base with varying security postures and update schedules.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which addresses NULL pointer dereference issues, and represents a classic example of how secure execution environments can be compromised through improper input validation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the system call interface as a means to gain elevated privileges. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation mechanisms, strengthening the TrustZone kernel interfaces, and ensuring that all pointer dereferences are properly validated before memory access occurs. Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment for affected Qualcomm products, implement runtime monitoring for suspicious syscall patterns, and consider additional security measures such as kernel address space layout randomization and enhanced memory protection mechanisms to reduce the attack surface.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining security boundaries between trusted and untrusted execution environments. The TrustZone architecture relies on the assumption that kernel interfaces will properly validate all inputs, making this flaw particularly severe as it represents a failure in the fundamental security architecture. Device manufacturers and security teams must recognize that vulnerabilities in secure execution environments can have cascading effects on overall system security, potentially exposing sensitive data and undermining the entire security model that these systems are designed to provide.