CVE-2018-13899 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Processing messages after error may result in user after free memory fault in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables in MDM9150, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, QCS605, Qualcomm 215, SD 425, SD 439 / SD 429, SD 450, SD 625, SD 632, SD 636, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SDA660, SDM439, SDM630, SDM660, SDX20, SDX24, SM7150
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical memory safety issue affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across various product lines including automotive, mobile, and IoT devices. The flaw occurs during error handling processes when the system attempts to process messages after an error condition has been detected, creating a scenario where freed memory locations may be accessed or modified. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of use-after-free conditions that are classified as CWE-416 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, representing a fundamental memory management flaw where program code continues to reference memory that has already been released.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper state management within the Qualcomm modem subsystems that handle message processing and error recovery mechanisms. When an error occurs during message handling, the system's cleanup procedures may not properly invalidate all references to previously allocated memory structures, leaving dangling pointers that can be exploited by malicious actors. This particular flaw affects the MDM9150, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, QCS605, Qualcomm 215, SD 425, SD 439 / SD 429, SD 450, SD 625, SD 632, SD 636, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SDA660, SDM439, SDM630, SDM660, SDX20, SDX24, and SM7150 chipsets, indicating a widespread issue affecting both consumer and industrial grade devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it can potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the affected system's modem processor. The use-after-free condition creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks where malicious actors could leverage the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves exploiting vulnerabilities to gain system-level privileges. The attack surface is particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these chipsets in smartphones, automotive systems, and IoT devices, potentially affecting millions of end users. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious SMS messages, compromised network communications, or specially crafted network packets that trigger the error condition and subsequent memory access violation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers and chipset vendors, as the flaw exists at the hardware level within Qualcomm's modem subsystem implementations. System administrators and device manufacturers should prioritize deployment of security patches that address the improper error handling and memory management within the affected Qualcomm chipsets. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect and block suspicious message patterns that may trigger the vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patched implementations properly handle error conditions without leaving memory in an accessible state. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack vectors, while maintaining awareness of the broader supply chain implications given the extensive deployment of these chipsets across multiple device categories and industries.