CVE-2017-14906 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Android before 2018-01-05 on Qualcomm Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile MDM9206, MDM9607, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, PKCS7 padding is not supported by the crypto storage APIs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2017-14906 represents a critical cryptographic weakness in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets that affected Android devices released before January 5, 2018. This issue specifically targets the crypto storage APIs within Qualcomm's IoT and mobile platforms, creating a fundamental flaw in how cryptographic operations are handled at the hardware level. The vulnerability stems from the absence of PKCS7 padding support, which is a standard padding scheme used in cryptographic operations to ensure data integrity and proper block alignment during encryption processes.
The technical flaw manifests in the cryptographic storage subsystem where Qualcomm's hardware security modules fail to properly implement PKCS7 padding mechanisms that are essential for secure data encryption and decryption operations. PKCS7 padding is defined by the RSA Laboratories as a standard method for padding data to ensure it aligns with block cipher requirements, where padding bytes are added to make the data length a multiple of the block size. Without this support, cryptographic operations become vulnerable to padding oracle attacks and other exploitation vectors that can compromise the security of encrypted data stored on or processed by these devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cryptographic failures, as it affects the fundamental security posture of IoT and mobile devices running on affected Qualcomm chipsets. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to bypass encryption mechanisms, manipulate stored data, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms including the MDM9206, MDM9607, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, and PKCS7 platforms, indicating a systemic issue across multiple product lines. This weakness particularly impacts devices that rely on hardware-based cryptographic operations for security, as the missing padding support creates predictable vulnerabilities in the encryption pipeline that can be exploited through various attack vectors.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-327, which addresses weak cryptographic algorithms and improper implementation of cryptographic padding schemes. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and defense evasion, as compromised cryptographic operations can lead to unauthorized access to protected data and system resources. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from device manufacturers, cryptographic protocol upgrades, and enhanced monitoring of cryptographic operations to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper cryptographic implementation at hardware levels and highlights the critical need for comprehensive security testing of cryptographic components in embedded systems and IoT devices.