CVE-2018-11284 in Snapdragon Mobile
Summary
by MITRE
Spoofed SMS can be used to send a large number of messages to the device which will in turn initiate a flood of registration updates with the server in snapdragon mobile and snapdragon wear in versions MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 625, SD 636, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, SDX20
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2020
This vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable devices affected by the MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 625, SD 636, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, and SDX20 chipsets. The flaw stems from improper handling of spoofed SMS messages that can trigger excessive registration updates to network servers. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 as an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, specifically manifesting as a denial of service condition where legitimate network services become unavailable due to resource exhaustion. The attack vector involves sending a large volume of spoofed SMS messages to the affected devices, which then initiate a flood of registration updates with the network server. This behavior represents a classic example of a resource exhaustion attack that can be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the mobile device's telephony stack where SMS message processing does not adequately validate or rate-limit registration requests generated in response to incoming messages. When spoofed SMS messages are received, the device's cellular modem processes them as legitimate traffic and subsequently triggers network registration procedures with the mobile network operator. This creates a cascading effect where multiple registration updates are sent to the network server in rapid succession, consuming network bandwidth and processing resources. The vulnerability affects the baseband processor component of the Snapdragon chipsets, which handles all cellular communication functions including SMS processing and network registration. The impact is particularly severe because these chipsets are widely deployed in smartphones and wearable devices, making the attack surface extensive across multiple device manufacturers and models.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially disrupt critical communication services for affected users. Mobile network operators may experience increased load on their registration servers and signaling systems, which can affect service quality for all users on the network. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring physical access to the device or any special privileges, making it particularly dangerous as a mass attack vector. The resource exhaustion occurs at the network registration layer where each spoofed message can trigger multiple registration update procedures, creating a multiplier effect that amplifies the impact. This type of vulnerability can be leveraged by threat actors to disrupt services for large numbers of users simultaneously, potentially affecting emergency services or business-critical communications. The attack can be executed at scale since the vulnerability affects multiple generations of Snapdragon chipsets, providing attackers with a broad target pool.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both network-level and device-level protections. Network operators should implement rate-limiting mechanisms on registration requests to prevent excessive updates from any single device or IP address. Device manufacturers should update firmware to properly validate incoming SMS messages and implement throttling mechanisms for registration updates. The Qualcomm security advisory recommends applying the latest firmware updates and patches that address the improper SMS message handling in the baseband processor. Users should ensure their devices receive timely security updates from manufacturers and network operators. Additionally, network monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual registration patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The implementation of mobile network security standards such as those defined in 3GPP specifications for baseband security and proper SMS message filtering can help reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and anomaly detection systems to identify and isolate affected devices during an active attack. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure implementation of telephony protocols and proper resource management in mobile device baseband processors.