CVE-2019-13992 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
u'Out of bound memory access if stack push and pop operation are performed without doing a bound check on stack top' in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in Bitra, IPQ6018, IPQ8074, MDM9205, Nicobar, QCA8081, QCN7605, QCS404, QCS405, QCS605, QCS610, Rennell, SA415M, SA6155P, Saipan, SC7180, SC8180X, SDA845, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR1130, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds memory access flaw that occurs when stack push and pop operations are executed without proper bounds checking on the stack top pointer. The issue affects a wide range of Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive, mobile, and networking products including the SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, and numerous other chipsets across various product lines. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of stack pointer values during memory management operations, creating a potential pathway for arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the kernel or firmware components responsible for stack management operations. When a stack push or pop operation is performed without verifying that the target memory location remains within allocated bounds, the processor may access memory outside the designated stack region. This condition allows attackers to potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations or execute malicious code by manipulating stack pointer values. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stack buffer overflow condition that can be exploited through crafted input sequences that trigger the problematic memory access patterns.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk across multiple attack vectors including automotive systems, industrial IoT deployments, and mobile connectivity solutions. The widespread presence of affected chipsets across different product categories means that exploitation could impact vehicles, industrial control systems, consumer electronics, and networking infrastructure. The vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, where an attacker with minimal access could potentially gain kernel-level privileges and execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This risk is particularly concerning given the automotive and industrial applications where system reliability and security are paramount.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation through memory corruption and execution of malicious code. The CWE classification for this issue would be CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions. Mitigation strategies should include implementing proper bounds checking mechanisms for all stack operations, utilizing stack canaries or guard pages to detect unauthorized memory access, and applying firmware updates from Qualcomm that address the specific memory management flaws. Organizations should also implement runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention to reduce exploitability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of rigorous memory safety practices in embedded systems development and emphasizes the need for comprehensive security testing across all system components, particularly those handling memory management operations in automotive and industrial environments.