CVE-2017-0459 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability in the Qualcomm Wi-Fi driver could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-32644895. References: QC-CR#1091939.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-0459 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the Qualcomm Wi-Fi driver component of Android systems running kernel version 3.18. This weakness exists at the intersection of hardware driver security and operating system privilege management, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized data access that could compromise system integrity. The vulnerability specifically affects the Wi-Fi driver implementation in Qualcomm chipsets, which are widely deployed across Android devices, making it a critical concern for mobile security. The issue manifests as a privilege escalation vector that allows a local malicious application to bypass normal permission boundaries and access data that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and T1005 which addresses "Data from Local System".
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the Qualcomm Wi-Fi driver code that handles memory management and data processing operations. When a malicious application executes on the device, it can leverage this flaw to manipulate driver interfaces and gain access to memory regions or data structures that contain sensitive information belonging to other processes or system components. The attack requires an initial compromise of a privileged process to establish the necessary foothold, which aligns with the moderate severity rating as noted in the vulnerability description. This requirement for prior compromise adds a layer of complexity to exploitation but does not eliminate the risk entirely, as successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to confidential data, including user credentials, personal information, and potentially system configuration details. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of inadequate input validation and memory protection within driver-level code, where proper bounds checking and access controls are missing or insufficiently implemented.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0459 extends beyond simple data exposure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could compromise user privacy and system security. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to extract sensitive information from other applications running on the device, potentially including banking applications, email clients, or social media platforms that store personal data. The local nature of this vulnerability means that no network connectivity is required for exploitation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged from within the device itself. The affected kernel version 3.18 represents a widely used Android kernel version, meaning that numerous devices and manufacturers would be impacted, creating a broad attack surface. Security researchers have noted that such driver-level vulnerabilities are particularly concerning because they often operate at a level below the operating system's normal security controls, making them difficult to detect and prevent through traditional application-level security measures. The vulnerability's classification as moderate severity reflects the fact that it requires an initial compromise but can still result in significant information disclosure when successfully exploited.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate patching and broader security hardening measures. Device manufacturers and Android developers should prioritize applying the relevant security patches provided by Qualcomm and Google to address the driver-level flaw. System administrators should implement additional monitoring and access control measures to detect unauthorized access attempts and potential exploitation of this vulnerability. The security community recommends implementing proper driver isolation mechanisms and strengthening memory protection features within the kernel to prevent unauthorized data access. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their Android device fleets to identify potentially affected systems and implement appropriate monitoring solutions. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing for hardware drivers and the need for robust privilege separation mechanisms within operating system components. Additionally, users should ensure their devices are updated with the latest security patches and maintain awareness of potential exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where mobile devices handle sensitive information. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of securing low-level system components and the potential impact that driver-level flaws can have on overall system security.