CVE-2019-10579 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer over-read can occur while playing the video clip which is not standard in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8064, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8939, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8996, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCA6574AU, QCS605, QM215, Rennell, SA6155P, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM429W, SDM439, SDM450, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR1130, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer over-read condition that affects multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor variants across various automotive, mobile, and IoT product lines. The flaw manifests specifically during video playback operations when handling non-standard video formats or malformed media files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and bounds checking within the video decoding and rendering components of the Snapdragon chipset's multimedia subsystem. When processing video clips that deviate from standard formats, the system fails to properly validate buffer boundaries, leading to memory access violations that can result in system instability or potential code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the multimedia framework's handling of video frame buffers and memory allocation routines. During video processing, the system allocates memory for video frames based on expected format parameters, but when encountering non-standard video content, the parsing logic does not adequately verify that the incoming data fits within allocated buffer boundaries. This creates a scenario where subsequent memory access operations may read beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially accessing adjacent memory regions containing sensitive data or system structures. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these Snapdragon processors across automotive infotainment systems, mobile devices, and IoT applications where system stability is paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple industry sectors including automotive infotainment systems, mobile devices, and industrial IoT deployments. In automotive environments utilizing Snapdragon Auto platforms, this vulnerability could lead to unexpected system crashes, display malfunctions, or complete infotainment system failures during video playback operations. The risk is amplified by the fact that these processors are commonly found in vehicles where system reliability directly impacts safety. Mobile device users may experience application crashes, system reboots, or unexpected behavior when playing certain video content, while IoT deployments could face intermittent service disruptions or data corruption issues. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when considering that attackers could craft malicious video files designed to trigger the buffer over-read condition, potentially leading to more severe consequences such as privilege escalation or denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Organizations should prioritize applying available firmware and software updates from Qualcomm and device manufacturers to address the specific buffer validation issues. System administrators should implement network-based filtering to prevent playback of untrusted video content, particularly in automotive environments where such content could originate from external sources. The implementation of memory protection mechanisms including stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap integrity checks can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their deployed systems to identify potential exposure points and implement runtime monitoring to detect anomalous memory access patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a significant concern within the ATT&CK framework under the technique of privilege escalation through memory corruption vulnerabilities. The widespread nature of affected platforms necessitates coordinated remediation efforts across multiple supply chain stakeholders and requires ongoing vigilance in monitoring for related exploitation attempts or additional vulnerabilities in similar subsystems.