CVE-2023-24850 in APQ8017
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Memory Corruption in HLOS while importing a cryptographic key into KeyMaster Trusted Application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-24850 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the Hardware Logic Operating System HLOS component of Android devices, specifically during the process of importing cryptographic keys into the KeyMaster trusted application. This flaw resides in the secure cryptographic subsystem that manages key operations and provides essential security services for device encryption and authentication. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes cryptographic key imports, creating potential pathways for malicious actors to exploit memory handling mechanisms within the trusted execution environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the KeyMaster application programming interface. When cryptographic keys are imported into the secure environment, the system fails to properly validate the key material structure and memory allocation boundaries. This oversight creates opportunities for buffer overflows, heap corruption, or memory access violations that can be leveraged by attackers with access to the system. The flaw operates at the intersection of hardware security modules and software cryptographic implementations, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise the integrity of the entire cryptographic infrastructure. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-24850 extends beyond simple memory corruption, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code within the secure execution environment or escalate privileges to gain unauthorized access to protected cryptographic keys. This vulnerability directly threatens the fundamental security assumptions of the device's cryptographic subsystem, as compromised key storage can lead to complete device compromise. Attackers could potentially extract encryption keys, bypass authentication mechanisms, or manipulate secure communications channels. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be executed through legitimate key import operations, making it particularly insidious as it operates within normal system behavior. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability aligns with T1548.001 for bypassing system access controls and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-24850 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from device manufacturers, as this vulnerability affects core security components that cannot be effectively mitigated through configuration changes alone. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for anomalous key import operations and establish baseline behavioral patterns for legitimate cryptographic operations. The vulnerability requires a complete software update to address the underlying memory management flaws, with no viable workarounds available. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of cryptographic key management processes and implement additional access controls around key import operations. Device manufacturers must ensure proper input validation and memory boundary checks are implemented throughout the KeyMaster application, particularly during key material processing and storage operations. Regular security audits of trusted application implementations should be conducted to identify similar memory corruption vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity of the device's security infrastructure.