# CVE-2014-9900: Information disclosure in n/a

> Local attackers can read sensitive kernel memory via uninitialized data structures in the ethtool subsystem, affecting Linux and Android devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Aug 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-9900, GHSA-w3c6-9prg-6jjg, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2014-9900, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2014-9900, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-9900

## What is CVE-2014-9900?

CVE-2014-9900 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Aug 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The ethtool_get_wol function in net/core/ethtool.c in the Linux kernel through 4.7, as used in Android before 2016-08-05 on Nexus 5 and 7 (2013) devices, does not initialize a certain data structure, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information via a crafted application, aka Android internal bug 28803952 and Qualcomm internal bug CR570754.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-9900?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Google Android, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-9900?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2014-9900 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-9900 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-9900 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-9900 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Aug 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-9900 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9900/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9900/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-9900
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-9900
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-9900

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9900/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.