CVE-2017-18322 in Snapdragon Mobile
Summary
by MITRE
Cryptographic key material leaked in WCDMA debug messages in snapdragon mobile and snapdragon wear in versions MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-18322 represents a critical cryptographic exposure affecting Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wear platforms. This weakness stems from the improper handling of cryptographic key material within WCDMA debug messages, creating a significant security risk for devices utilizing affected Snapdragon chipsets. The flaw manifests when sensitive cryptographic information becomes accessible through debug output channels, potentially exposing encryption keys used in cellular communications and device security operations. This issue affects a substantial range of Qualcomm processors including various MDM and MSM series, indicating a widespread impact across multiple device generations and product lines.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the leakage of cryptographic key material through debug message protocols used in WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) cellular communication systems. When debug functionality is enabled or activated during device operation, these messages contain sensitive cryptographic data that should remain protected within secure processing environments. The exposure occurs because the debug output mechanisms do not adequately sanitize or restrict access to cryptographic material, allowing unauthorized parties to extract key information through simple inspection of debug logs or message streams. This represents a fundamental failure in information flow control and data protection within the secure processing framework of these mobile platforms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable sophisticated attacks against device security and cellular communications. Attackers who can access these debug messages may reconstruct cryptographic keys used for device authentication, secure communications, or encryption of sensitive data stored on or transmitted by affected devices. The exposure of such keys could facilitate man-in-the-middle attacks on cellular communications, enable device impersonation, or allow decryption of protected data. Additionally, the vulnerability affects both mobile and wearable devices, amplifying the potential attack surface and creating risks for personal data protection across multiple device categories. The presence of this weakness in both high-end and mid-range processors indicates that security considerations were not adequately addressed across the entire product portfolio.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-18322 should focus on disabling debug functionality in production environments and implementing proper access controls for debug message channels. Organizations should ensure that debug output is either completely disabled or properly sanitized before deployment to production devices. The affected Qualcomm chipsets require firmware updates and security patches that address the improper handling of cryptographic material in debug messages. Security configurations should include mandatory disabling of debug modes on devices in production environments, with proper audit controls to prevent unauthorized activation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) classifications, representing a clear violation of secure coding principles and information protection standards. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for Credential Access through information disclosure, potentially enabling further exploitation of device security mechanisms and communications protocols.