CVE-2015-9110 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Automobile and Snapdragon Mobile SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 820, and SD 820A, no address argument validation is performed on calls to the qsee_get_secure_state syscall.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2020
This vulnerability exists within the Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive and mobile platform components that are integrated into various android devices. The issue stems from insufficient input validation within the qsee_get_secure_state system call, which operates at a privileged kernel level within the Android security framework. The vulnerability affects devices utilizing specific Snapdragon chipsets including the SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 820, and SD 820A processors. The lack of address argument validation creates a potential privilege escalation vector that could allow malicious actors to manipulate kernel memory access patterns. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the Android security model as it bypasses normal input sanitization mechanisms that should prevent invalid memory addresses from being processed by kernel-level system calls.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the absence of proper address validation within the qsee_get_secure_state syscall implementation. When this system call receives input parameters, it fails to verify that the provided memory addresses fall within acceptable ranges or are properly aligned for kernel operations. This oversight creates a potential for memory corruption or information disclosure attacks that could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the Qualcomm Secure Execution Environment (QSEE) which serves as a trusted execution environment for handling sensitive operations including cryptographic functions and secure boot processes. According to CWE standards, this represents a weakness categorized under CWE-129 Input Validation and Normalization, specifically involving improper validation of input arguments to system calls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it potentially compromises the integrity of the entire secure execution environment. Attackers could exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to secure processing units, potentially undermining the cryptographic protections that are fundamental to device security. The vulnerability affects devices that were manufactured before the 2018-04-05 security patch level, indicating that a significant number of devices in the field remain potentially vulnerable. This represents a substantial risk to automotive applications where Snapdragon Automotive platforms are commonly deployed, as these systems often handle critical safety functions and sensitive data transmission. The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1547.001, which covers 'Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder' in the context of kernel-level privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the appropriate security patches released by Qualcomm and Android vendors. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the 2018-04-05 security update which includes proper address validation for the qsee_get_secure_state syscall. Device manufacturers and carriers must ensure comprehensive testing of patches to prevent regression issues in critical automotive or mobile applications. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous system call patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper input validation practices in kernel-level code. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections such as kernel address space layout randomization and stack canaries to further reduce the exploitability of similar vulnerabilities. This case demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in kernel interfaces and the potential consequences of inadequate security controls in trusted execution environments.