CVE-2017-14895 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, QRD Android, with all Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, after a subsystem reset, iwpriv is not giving correct information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14895 affects Android-based systems utilizing the Linux kernel from Code Aurora Forum (CAF) across multiple device subcategories including MSM (MediaTek System on Chip) platforms. This issue specifically manifests in the iwpriv command utility which is used for configuring wireless network drivers in Linux environments. The flaw becomes apparent after a subsystem reset operation, where the iwpriv utility fails to provide accurate information about wireless network parameters and driver states. This represents a significant security concern as it impacts the integrity of wireless network configuration data and could potentially expose underlying system vulnerabilities through incorrect information disclosure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of wireless driver state information following subsystem reset events. When the wireless subsystem undergoes a reset operation, the iwpriv utility does not properly synchronize its internal state with the actual driver conditions, leading to inconsistent or misleading output. This behavior creates a potential attack surface where malicious actors could exploit the incorrect information to craft more sophisticated wireless network attacks or to bypass security mechanisms that rely on accurate driver state reporting. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile environments where wireless connectivity is fundamental to device operation and security.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the reliability of wireless network management and monitoring capabilities within affected Android devices. System administrators and security professionals relying on iwpriv for wireless network diagnostics and configuration verification may receive false information that could lead to incorrect troubleshooting decisions. The issue affects various Android releases from CAF, indicating a widespread problem across multiple device generations and manufacturers. This creates operational challenges for security teams who must account for potential misconfigurations and incorrect network state reporting in their monitoring and incident response procedures.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories, as it involves both incorrect information disclosure and potential access control bypass through misleading driver state information. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness could be leveraged in the T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) phases of an attack, where adversaries might use the incorrect information to plan more effective wireless network attacks or to identify potential network vulnerabilities. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more advanced persistent threats that exploit the confusion created by the erroneous driver state reporting.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers that address the subsystem reset handling in wireless driver utilities. Organizations should implement additional monitoring procedures to detect when wireless network utilities return inconsistent information, particularly following system reset events. Network security teams should consider deploying wireless intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous wireless behavior patterns that might indicate the presence of this vulnerability. Regular system audits should verify that wireless driver state information is consistent with actual network conditions, and that subsystem reset operations properly initialize all wireless components. Device manufacturers should also consider implementing additional validation checks within their wireless management utilities to ensure that information returned by iwpriv accurately reflects the actual driver state following any reset operations.