CVE-2019-10487 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer over read can happen while parsing SMS OTA messages at transport layer if network sends un-intended values in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8939, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCM2150, QCS605, QM215, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM439, SDM450, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overread condition that occurs during the parsing of sms over-the-air messages at the transport layer within various snapdragon automotive and consumer iot platforms. The flaw manifests when network entities transmit unintended values that cause the processing routine to read beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration category of buffer overread CWE-126 and is particularly concerning in automotive and industrial contexts where reliable communication is paramount. The affected device families span across multiple generations of snapdragon processors including automotive platforms like apq8009, apq8017, and apq8053 alongside consumer iot devices such as msm8905, msm8909, and msm8937, demonstrating the widespread nature of this vulnerability across different processor architectures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through carefully crafted sms messages. When parsing sms over-the-air messages, the transport layer processing routines fail to properly validate input parameters from network sources, allowing malicious actors to send malformed data that triggers the buffer overread condition. This vulnerability directly relates to the attack technique of code injection and privilege escalation within the attack pattern taxonomy, as it could potentially allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges or execute unauthorized commands. The specific processor configurations affected include automotive platforms such as the mdm9150, mdm9205, and mdm9607, alongside consumer iot devices like the sda660, sda845, and sdm845, indicating that both commercial and industrial applications are at risk.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms within the sms transport layer processing routines, ensuring that all received data is properly bounded before processing. The fix typically involves adding proper bounds checking before buffer operations, implementing defensive programming practices, and validating all parameters received from external network sources. System administrators should prioritize updating affected firmware and software components to versions that contain patches addressing this specific buffer overread condition. Given the automotive and industrial nature of many affected platforms, organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous sms traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a buffer overread aligns with security best practices outlined in the common weakness enumeration standards and requires immediate attention in environments where these snapdragon platforms are deployed.