CVE-2018-11294 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In all android releases(Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, QRD Android) from CAF using the linux kernel, WLAN handler indication from the firmware gets the information for 4 access categories. While processing this information only the first 3 AC information is copied due to the improper conditional logic used to compare with the max number of categories.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2023
This vulnerability affects multiple android variants including MSM, Firefox OS, and QRD Android platforms that utilize the linux kernel for wireless networking operations. The flaw resides in the WLAN handler indication processing mechanism within the firmware communication stack where the system receives information about four access categories but fails to properly handle all of them due to flawed conditional logic implementation.
The technical implementation error occurs when the system processes incoming WLAN handler indications containing four access category parameters from the firmware. The conditional logic used in the processing routine incorrectly compares against the maximum number of categories, causing only the first three access category values to be copied while the fourth category information is silently discarded. This represents a classic buffer overflow or data truncation vulnerability where incomplete data processing leads to information loss rather than direct system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests as potential degradation in wireless network performance and reliability. When the fourth access category information is lost during processing, it can result in suboptimal Quality of Service handling for wireless traffic, particularly affecting real-time applications and multimedia streaming that rely on proper access category management. Network administrators may observe inconsistent performance patterns or unexpected behavior in wireless connectivity, though the vulnerability does not appear to enable direct exploitation or privilege escalation.
This flaw aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of the length or size of input data, and potentially relates to CWE-704 in cases where insufficient input validation leads to incomplete data handling. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged in the context of network reconnaissance or performance degradation attacks, though it does not directly support privilege escalation or direct system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates a common pattern in embedded systems development where conditional logic errors lead to data loss rather than system compromise, highlighting the importance of comprehensive testing for boundary conditions in firmware implementations. The issue affects devices with wireless capabilities that rely on Qualcomm's Android for MSM platform and related firmware implementations, making it particularly relevant for mobile devices, IoT systems, and embedded wireless communication equipment that utilize these specific kernel configurations.