CVE-2017-14877 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
While the IPA driver in Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, and QRD Android before 2017-08-31 is processing IOCTL commands there is no mutex lock of allocated memory. If one thread sends an ioctl cmd IPA_IOC_QUERY_RT_TBL_INDEX while another sends an ioctl cmd IPA_IOC_DEL_RT_RULE, a use-after-free condition may occur.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14877 represents a critical concurrency flaw within the IPA (Internet Protocol Accelerator) driver component of Android-based systems including MSM platforms, Firefox OS for MSM, and QRD Android versions prior to August 31, 2017. This issue stems from inadequate synchronization mechanisms during the processing of IOCTL (Input/Output Control) commands, specifically affecting memory management operations within the kernel space driver. The IPA driver serves as a crucial component for network packet processing and acceleration, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can compromise the entire network stack of affected devices. The flaw manifests when multiple threads simultaneously attempt to access shared memory resources without proper mutual exclusion controls, creating a race condition scenario that can lead to unpredictable system behavior and potential exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the absence of mutex locks during memory allocation and deallocation processes within the IPA driver's IOCTL handling mechanism. When one thread executes the IPA_IOC_QUERY_RT_TBL_INDEX command while another thread concurrently issues the IPA_IOC_DEL_RT_RULE command, the lack of proper synchronization creates a scenario where memory that has been freed by one thread can still be accessed by another thread that has not yet been notified of the deallocation. This fundamental flaw in memory management synchronization creates a use-after-free condition that can result in memory corruption, arbitrary code execution, or system crashes. The vulnerability specifically affects the kernel-level driver operations where network routing table management occurs, making it particularly severe given the privileged execution context in which these operations occur. The absence of proper locking mechanisms means that concurrent access to the same memory regions can lead to inconsistent states and memory corruption that attackers can potentially exploit to gain elevated privileges or cause denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to potentially enable sophisticated exploitation techniques that could compromise device security and integrity. Attackers could leverage this race condition to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries and gaining full control over affected devices. The use-after-free condition creates opportunities for memory corruption that can be exploited through carefully crafted IOCTL commands, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate kernel memory structures and execute malicious payloads. This vulnerability affects a wide range of mobile platforms and embedded systems that rely on the IPA driver for network acceleration, making it particularly concerning for mobile device manufacturers and users. The timing of the vulnerability's exploitation is critical as it requires precise coordination of concurrent threads, but once triggered, the consequences can be devastating to system security and user data protection. The impact is further amplified by the fact that this vulnerability exists in widely deployed kernel components, meaning that a successful exploitation could affect millions of devices simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14877 should focus on implementing proper synchronization mechanisms within the IPA driver's IOCTL processing code. The primary remediation involves adding mutex locks or other appropriate locking primitives around memory allocation and deallocation operations to prevent concurrent access to shared resources during critical sections. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize applying security patches that address the specific race condition in the IPA driver, ensuring that all affected Android versions and firmware releases receive timely updates. The implementation should follow established security practices such as those outlined in the CWE-362 weakness classification, which specifically addresses race conditions in concurrent programming environments. Additionally, the mitigation approach should include comprehensive testing to verify that the synchronization mechanisms properly prevent the use-after-free conditions while maintaining system performance and functionality. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to handle any successful exploitation attempts that may occur. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper concurrency control in kernel-level drivers and the potential consequences of inadequate synchronization mechanisms in security-sensitive components.