CVE-2018-11970 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
TZ App dynamic allocations not protected from XBL loader in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile in MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MDM9655, QCS605, SD 410/12, SD 636, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11970 represents a critical security flaw in Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platforms where dynamic memory allocations within the TrustZone (TZ) application are inadequately protected from the eXtensible Boot Loader (XBL) component. This issue affects a broad range of Snapdragon chipsets including automotive variants like MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, and MDM9655, alongside consumer and industrial IoT processors such as SD 410/12, SD 636, SD 712/710/670, SD 845/850, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, and SXR1130. The root cause stems from insufficient isolation mechanisms between the secure and non-secure execution environments, creating potential attack vectors for privilege escalation and unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of memory allocation requests within the TrustZone environment. When the TZ App performs dynamic memory allocation operations, these allocations are not adequately secured against potential interference or manipulation by the XBL loader which operates in a different security context. This architectural weakness allows an attacker with access to the XBL loader to potentially corrupt or manipulate memory regions that should remain protected within the secure environment. The vulnerability manifests as a failure in maintaining proper memory protection boundaries between the bootloader and secure application components, violating fundamental security principles of isolation and privilege separation. According to CWE-276, this represents a specific case of improper privilege management where the system fails to properly enforce access controls on memory resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-11970 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it enables potential attackers to exploit the insecure memory management to gain elevated privileges within the system. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the secure environment, potentially compromising the integrity of sensitive cryptographic operations, secure boot processes, and other critical security features that depend on proper memory isolation. The vulnerability affects automotive systems that rely on Snapdragon chipsets for vehicle infotainment, telematics, and safety-critical functions, making it particularly concerning for automotive cybersecurity. Additionally, the widespread deployment of affected chipsets across consumer electronics, industrial IoT devices, and mobile platforms amplifies the potential attack surface significantly.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from device manufacturers and system integrators. The primary approach involves implementing enhanced memory protection mechanisms that properly isolate TrustZone dynamic allocations from XBL loader operations, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 for privilege escalation. Device vendors should ensure firmware updates are deployed to address the memory protection gaps, while also implementing proper memory access controls and validation checks. The solution typically requires modifications to the bootloader and secure application interfaces to enforce stricter memory boundary checks and prevent unauthorized access to secure memory regions. Security researchers should monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting these automotive and mobile platforms, as the vulnerability's impact spans multiple industries and could enable sophisticated attacks against critical infrastructure systems. Organizations must also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their deployed systems to identify any potential exploitation of this vulnerability in their specific implementations.