CVE-2017-9371 in QNX Software Development Platform
Summary
by MITRE
In BlackBerry QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 6.6.0 and 6.5.0 SP1 and earlier, a loss of integrity vulnerability in the default configuration of the QNX SDP could allow an attacker being able to reduce the entropy of the PRNG, making other blended attacks more practical by gaining control over environmental factors that influence seed generation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9371 represents a critical weakness in the cryptographic security infrastructure of BlackBerry QNX Software Development Platform versions 6.6.0 and 6.5.0 SP1 and earlier. This issue falls under the category of entropy reduction in pseudorandom number generators, a fundamental security flaw that undermines the cryptographic foundations of the system. The vulnerability specifically affects the default configuration of the QNX SDP, meaning that organizations deploying these versions without additional security hardening are inherently exposed to potential exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests through the insufficient entropy collection mechanisms within the platform's pseudorandom number generator implementation. When a system operates with reduced entropy, the randomness of generated cryptographic keys, session identifiers, and other security-critical values becomes predictable or susceptible to calculation by attackers. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the foundational level of cryptographic security, affecting how the system generates random values that are essential for maintaining security boundaries. The weakness allows attackers to manipulate environmental factors that influence seed generation, effectively reducing the entropy pool and making cryptographic attacks more feasible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cryptographic weakness to encompass broader security implications for systems running affected QNX SDP versions. Attackers who can reduce the entropy of the PRNG can potentially predict or influence cryptographic outputs, which may enable them to bypass authentication mechanisms, decrypt communications, or compromise secure sessions. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where QNX SDP is used for embedded systems, automotive applications, or industrial control systems where predictable cryptographic behavior could lead to system compromise or safety failures. The blended attack capability mentioned in the description suggests that this vulnerability can be combined with other exploits to create more sophisticated attack vectors.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the QNX SDP platform, implementing additional entropy sources, and conducting thorough security assessments of systems running affected versions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-330, which addresses insufficient entropy in random number generators, and represents a significant concern from an ATT&CK framework perspective as it enables initial access and privilege escalation techniques. Security teams must also consider implementing monitoring for unusual patterns in system entropy and cryptographic operations to detect potential exploitation attempts. The default configuration nature of this vulnerability means that even properly configured systems may be at risk if they have not been upgraded from the vulnerable versions, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and configurations.