CVE-2017-18323 in Snapdragon Automobile
Summary
by MITRE
Cryptographic key material leaked in TDSCDMA RRC debug messages in snapdragon automobile, snapdragon mobile and snapdragon wear in versions MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SDA660, SDX20, SXR1130.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical cryptographic exposure in Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile chipsets where sensitive key material becomes accessible through Radio Resource Control debug messages within the TDSCDMA protocol implementation. The flaw affects a broad range of Qualcomm SoCs including the MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, and numerous SD series processors spanning from entry-level to flagship devices. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of cryptographic keys during debug message generation, where key material intended for secure operations is inadvertently exposed in plain text within protocol control messages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the transmission of cryptographic key material through TDSCDMA Radio Resource Control (RRC) debug messages that are typically used for diagnostic purposes during network communication. These debug messages are designed to provide operational information to developers and network operators but contain sensitive cryptographic keys that should remain protected. The exposure occurs because the system fails to properly sanitize debug output before transmission, allowing attackers who can intercept these messages to extract key material directly from the communication stream. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and proper information hiding, where sensitive cryptographic components are exposed inappropriately.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple security domains including mobile network security, automotive connectivity, and device-level cryptographic protection. Attackers with access to the network traffic or physical device debugging capabilities can extract cryptographic keys used for authentication, encryption, and secure communication between devices and network infrastructure. This exposure compromises the confidentiality and integrity of communications, potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to protected services. The vulnerability affects automotive applications through Snapdragon Automobile chipsets, making it particularly concerning for connected vehicle systems and autonomous driving technologies where secure communications are critical. According to CWE-312, this represents a weakness in which sensitive data is exposed through improper handling of debug information, while the ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1552 for data handling and T1041 for data exfiltration techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of firmware updates from Qualcomm that address the improper handling of debug messages and ensure cryptographic key material is properly sanitized before any debug output is generated. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized access to debug messages, while device manufacturers need to ensure that debug features are disabled or properly secured in production environments. The vulnerability also highlights the need for secure development practices including proper key management, secure coding guidelines, and comprehensive security testing of debug and diagnostic features. Additionally, network operators should implement traffic analysis to identify unusual patterns that may indicate the presence of debug messages containing sensitive information, while automotive systems require specific security measures to protect vehicle communication systems from potential exploitation of this vulnerability through the exposed cryptographic keys.