Quantum Secular Labs / Blog / Advisories

CVE-2017-14883: Google Android: Buffer overflow

CVE-2017-14883 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.0 base score of 9.8 and affects Google Android. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

In the function wma_unified_power_debug_stats_event_handler() in Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, and QRD Android before 2017-10-18, if the value param_buf->num_debug_register received from the FW command buffer is close to max of uint32, then the computation performed using this variable to calculate stats_registers_len may overflow to a smaller value leading to less than required memory allocated for power_stats_results and potentially a buffer overflow while copying the FW buffer to local buffer.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.0 9.8: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary.

Affected products

  • Google Android: all versions listed by NVD

References