CVE-2019-9417 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
In Bluetooth, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-111450079
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9417 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the Bluetooth implementation of Android 10 operating systems. This issue stems from the absence of proper bounds checking mechanisms within the Bluetooth stack, specifically affecting how the system processes incoming Bluetooth packets or data structures. The vulnerability resides in the kernel-level Bluetooth subsystem where insufficient input validation allows malicious data to be processed beyond allocated memory boundaries. This particular flaw falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, which encompasses issues related to insufficient bounds checking, making it a classic example of memory safety violations that can result in unintended memory access patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential pathways for attackers to extract sensitive data from system memory. Since exploitation requires no user interaction and can be achieved through local means, the attack surface is significantly broadened. An attacker with local access to a device running Android 10 could potentially leverage this vulnerability to read arbitrary memory locations, potentially extracting cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other confidential information stored within the device's memory space. The lack of additional execution privileges required for exploitation makes this particularly concerning as it can be exploited by any local user or process with minimal privileges, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1005 for data theft through memory access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the Bluetooth protocol handling code where packet parsing routines fail to validate the length or size of incoming data before attempting to access memory structures. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where Bluetooth is constantly active and processing data from multiple sources. The Android security model typically isolates applications and system processes, but local memory read operations can bypass these protections when dealing with kernel-level vulnerabilities. The Android ID A-111450079 indicates this was tracked within Google's internal security reporting system, highlighting the severity and widespread nature of the issue across Android 10 devices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-9417 primarily focus on applying the relevant security patches provided by Google and device manufacturers. Organizations and users should immediately install the latest Android security updates that address this specific out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit local access to Bluetooth-enabled devices. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of robust input validation in kernel-space code, with recommendations for implementing comprehensive bounds checking mechanisms and memory safety validations. Device manufacturers should conduct thorough code reviews focusing on Bluetooth and wireless communication stacks to identify similar vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to information disclosure or privilege escalation attacks. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for secure coding practices in system-level components where memory safety violations can have severe implications for overall system security and user privacy protection.