CVE-2018-11966 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Undefined behavior in UE while processing unknown IEI in OTA message in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables in MDM9150, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, QCS605, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 439 / SD 429, SD 450, SD 625, SD 632, SD 636, SD 650/52, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SDA660, SDM439, SDM630, SDM660, SDX20, SM7150, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical undefined behavior flaw in Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platform implementations that occurs during over-the-air message processing when encountering unknown information element identifiers. The issue manifests specifically within the modem subsystem where the software fails to properly handle malformed or unrecognized IEI (Information Element Identifier) values in communication protocols, creating potential security and stability risks for devices utilizing these chipsets.
The technical root cause stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the modem's protocol processing stack, where the system attempts to process unknown IEI values without proper bounds checking or error handling procedures. This undefined behavior can lead to memory corruption, unexpected program termination, or potentially exploitable conditions that allow attackers to manipulate the modem's execution flow. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm chipsets spanning automotive, mobile, and IoT domains, indicating a fundamental flaw in the modem firmware implementation that impacts multiple product lines.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across various security domains including automotive systems, mobile communications, and IoT deployments where these chipsets are prevalent. Attackers could potentially leverage this undefined behavior to cause denial of service conditions, system crashes, or in more sophisticated scenarios, achieve code execution within the modem context. The widespread chipset compatibility across multiple generations and product categories means that numerous devices from various manufacturers could be affected, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors targeting mobile and automotive communication systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on firmware updates from device manufacturers and Qualcomm to address the undefined behavior in protocol handling. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions) and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service through firmware manipulation. Device security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections and input sanitization measures to reduce the risk of exploitation in environments where immediate firmware updates are not feasible.