CVE-2015-9124 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 800, SD 808, and SD 810, the device may crash while accessing an invalid pointer or expose otherwise inaccessible memory contents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9124 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting various Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors deployed in Android devices prior to the 2018-04-05 security patch level. This flaw manifests in devices utilizing Snapdragon MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 800, SD 808, and SD 810 chipsets. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management during pointer access operations, creating a condition where the system may attempt to dereference invalid memory addresses or access protected memory regions. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, specifically representing an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that can lead to unpredictable system behavior. The issue is particularly concerning as it affects the foundational security architecture of mobile devices, potentially allowing attackers to exploit memory access violations to gain unauthorized system access or cause denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple device instability, as it can expose sensitive memory contents that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the mobile processor encounters malformed memory access requests or when legitimate applications attempt to access memory regions that have not been properly allocated or validated. This memory corruption can manifest as either a system crash or more insidiously, as memory disclosure that reveals confidential data such as cryptographic keys, user credentials, or sensitive application data stored in memory. The root cause lies in the kernel-level memory management routines within the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset's firmware, where insufficient bounds checking or improper pointer validation allows for invalid memory access patterns. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, particularly targeting the system's memory management subsystem. This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through kernel exploits and defense evasion by corrupting memory structures to avoid detection mechanisms. The flaw represents a classic example of memory safety issues that have plagued embedded systems and mobile processors, where the complexity of hardware-software integration creates opportunities for exploitation that are difficult to detect and prevent through traditional software-based security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-9124 extends across multiple security domains affecting both device integrity and user privacy. Devices affected by this vulnerability face potential compromise through unauthorized memory access, which could expose sensitive information stored in device memory such as encryption keys, session tokens, or personal data. The crash behavior associated with this vulnerability can also lead to denial of service conditions that render devices unusable, particularly in enterprise environments where device reliability is critical. Organizations deploying affected devices may experience increased security incidents, device failures, and potential data breaches if not properly patched. The vulnerability affects a wide range of mobile devices including smartphones and tablets, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts consumer devices that may not receive timely security updates. This flaw particularly affects mobile devices that rely on Qualcomm's hardware security modules and memory management systems, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited in advanced persistent threat scenarios. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple chipset generations indicates a fundamental flaw in Qualcomm's memory management implementation that requires comprehensive firmware updates to address. The exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent backdoors on affected devices, potentially leading to long-term surveillance capabilities or data exfiltration operations. The complexity of this vulnerability makes it particularly challenging for security teams to monitor and remediate, as it requires both hardware-level firmware updates and coordinated software patches across multiple system components. Organizations must implement comprehensive patch management strategies to address this vulnerability, as the risk of exploitation increases with the sophistication of modern attack vectors targeting mobile device security.