CVE-2018-11928 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Lack of check on length parameter may cause buffer overflow while processing WMI commands in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, QCA6174A, QCA6564, QCA6574, QCA6574AU, QCA6584, QCA6584AU, QCA8081, QCA9377, QCA9379, QCA9886, QCS605, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 600, SD 625, SD 636, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, SDX20, SDX24, SM7150, SXR1130
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that affects multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across various product lines including automotive, mobile, connectivity, and IoT devices. The flaw occurs during processing of Windows Management Instrumentation commands where the system fails to properly validate the length parameter before memory operations. This absence of input validation creates an opportunity for malicious actors to manipulate the buffer size parameter and subsequently overwrite adjacent memory regions. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Qualcomm SoCs including the IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, and numerous QCA and SD series chipsets. The buffer overflow vulnerability falls under CWE-121 which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, making it particularly dangerous as it can lead to arbitrary code execution and system compromise. The affected devices span from consumer mobile platforms like SD 845 and SD 855 to industrial IoT solutions and automotive systems, creating a broad attack surface that could potentially impact vehicle safety systems, industrial control networks, and consumer electronics.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption to encompass potential system instability and complete compromise of affected devices. When an attacker successfully exploits this buffer overflow through malformed WMI commands, they can achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the vulnerable system. This capability enables attackers to escalate privileges, install persistent backdoors, or even take complete control of the device. The nature of WMI commands makes this particularly concerning as these are commonly used management interfaces that may be accessible through network connections or physical access points. The vulnerability affects devices that operate in critical infrastructure environments where system reliability and security are paramount. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) techniques, as the buffer overflow can be leveraged to execute malicious commands and gain elevated privileges. The widespread adoption of these Snapdragon chipsets across automotive, industrial, and consumer markets amplifies the risk, as exploitation could affect thousands of devices simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from device manufacturers and end-users. The most effective approach involves applying firmware updates from Qualcomm and device vendors that include proper input validation for WMI command length parameters. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of WMI interfaces to trusted networks only. Monitoring for unusual WMI command patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems, particularly around parameter validation and memory management. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all devices running affected Snapdragon chipsets and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to make exploitation more difficult. Given the breadth of affected products, coordinated patch management across multiple device categories becomes essential for comprehensive protection against this buffer overflow vulnerability.