CVE-2017-18304 in Snapdragon Automobile
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient memory allocation in boot due to incorrect size being passed could result in out of bounds access in Small Cell SoC, Snapdragon Automobile, Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear in version FSM9055, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SDA660 and SDX20
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical memory management flaw affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon system-on-chip platforms used in mobile devices, automotive applications, and wearables. The issue stems from insufficient memory allocation during the boot process where incorrect size parameters are passed to memory allocation functions, creating a fundamental weakness in the system's initialization sequence. This flaw exists in various Snapdragon variants including the FSM9055, MDM9206, MDM9607, and numerous other models spanning different generations of Qualcomm's mobile and automotive processors. The vulnerability manifests as an out-of-bounds memory access condition that can occur during the early boot stages when the system attempts to allocate memory for critical components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper calculation or handling of memory allocation sizes within the boot firmware or bootloader components of these processors. When the system initializes, it attempts to allocate memory blocks for various subsystems, but due to incorrect size parameters being passed to memory management functions, the allocated memory regions become insufficient for the actual requirements. This creates a scenario where subsequent memory operations attempt to write beyond the allocated boundaries, potentially corrupting adjacent memory regions or causing system instability. The flaw operates at the kernel level during boot initialization, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the entire system startup process and potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security implications for devices utilizing affected Snapdragon processors. The out-of-bounds memory access can lead to system crashes, device instability, or potentially enable privilege escalation attacks depending on the specific implementation details and attack surface. Attackers could potentially exploit this condition to gain unauthorized access to system resources or cause denial-of-service conditions that would render devices unusable. The vulnerability affects a wide range of devices including smartphones, automotive infotainment systems, wearable devices, and other IoT products that rely on these Qualcomm processors. The impact extends beyond individual device security to potentially affect entire fleets of connected vehicles or deployed IoT networks where these processors are integrated.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) classifications, representing fundamental memory safety issues in embedded systems. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could map to techniques involving privilege escalation and system compromise during boot processes, potentially enabling initial access or persistence mechanisms. Organizations should prioritize patch management for affected devices and consider implementing additional runtime protections such as memory protection units and stack canaries to mitigate potential exploitation. Device manufacturers and OEMs should review their boot processes and memory allocation routines to ensure proper size calculations and bounds checking. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough memory management testing during firmware development and the need for comprehensive security validation of boot processes in embedded systems. Given the widespread deployment of these processors across multiple device categories, the potential attack surface is extensive and requires immediate attention from security teams and device maintainers.