CVE-2018-13901 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Due to missing permissions in Android Manifest file, Sensitive information disclosure issue can happen in PCI RCS app in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, QCA6574AU, QCS605, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 636, SD 650/52, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 730, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-13901 represents a critical security flaw in the Android Manifest file of the PCI RCS application across multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. This issue stems from insufficient permission controls that allow unauthorized access to sensitive information, creating potential data exposure risks for users of various automotive and mobile devices. The affected platforms span across Snapdragon Auto, Connectivity, Consumer IOT, Industrial IOT, IoT, Mobile, Voice & Music, and Wearables product lines, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's ecosystem.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the missing or inadequate permissions declared in the Android Manifest file, which should normally restrict access to sensitive data and system resources. When such permissions are absent or improperly configured, malicious applications or attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to confidential information that should remain protected. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface that allows for sensitive data disclosure through improper access controls, violating fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control enforcement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple device categories including automotive systems, mobile phones, IoT devices, and wearable technology. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive information such as communication data, user credentials, device identifiers, or other confidential metadata that the PCI RCS application was designed to protect. The vulnerability affects specific Qualcomm chipsets including MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, QCA6574AU, QCS605, and various SD series processors, creating a substantial attack surface across different hardware platforms.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. The flaw enables information disclosure through inadequate permission management, making it particularly dangerous in environments where device security is paramount. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as it allows unauthorized entities to obtain sensitive data that should be protected by proper access controls. The impact is particularly severe in automotive and industrial IoT contexts where device security directly affects user safety and data privacy.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper Android Manifest permissions, ensuring that all sensitive data access points are appropriately restricted, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all application components. Device manufacturers should update affected firmware and applications to include proper permission controls, while security teams should implement monitoring for unauthorized data access attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper permission management in Android applications and serves as a reminder of the critical need for security-by-design principles in mobile and IoT device development. Regular security audits and compliance verification should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future deployments, particularly in security-sensitive environments where unauthorized access could lead to significant operational and privacy risks.