CVE-2019-14028 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overwrite during memcpy due to lack of check on SSID length validation in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8064, APQ8096, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, IPQ6018, IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCA4531, QCA6174A, QCA6564, QCA6574, QCA6574AU, QCA6584, QCA6584AU, QCA8081, QCA9377, QCA9379, QCA9886, QCN7605, QCS404, QCS405, QCS605, Rennell, SA6155P, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR1130, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that occurs during memory copying operations within the wireless networking subsystem of Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platforms. The flaw manifests when the system processes Service Set Identifier (SSID) information without proper validation of the input length, leading to a potential overwrite of adjacent memory regions. The vulnerability affects a comprehensive range of Qualcomm chipsets spanning automotive, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, and networking applications, indicating a widespread impact across multiple product lines and use cases. This type of buffer overflow vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows memory corruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the memcpy function being called with an SSID parameter that lacks proper length validation before the memory copy operation occurs. When an attacker provides an SSID with a length exceeding the allocated buffer space, the memcpy operation will overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical system data structures, function pointers, or return addresses. This memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution or system crashes, depending on the specific memory regions overwritten. The vulnerability's presence in both automotive and consumer-grade platforms demonstrates the severity of impact across different security domains, as these chipsets are deployed in vehicles, mobile devices, and IoT infrastructure where reliability and security are paramount. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a memory corruption technique under the system binary modification category, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to encompass potential security compromise of connected devices. Attackers could exploit this weakness to execute malicious code on affected platforms, potentially gaining unauthorized access to vehicle systems, consumer devices, or industrial control networks. The widespread chipset compatibility means that numerous devices across multiple industries could be vulnerable simultaneously, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors. The vulnerability affects both wireless networking capabilities and broader system functionality, as the affected platforms typically serve as core components in communication infrastructure. Organizations deploying these chipsets in critical applications must consider the potential for cascading failures, as memory corruption in one subsystem could affect multiple interconnected components within the device architecture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms, particularly for SSID parameters and other wireless network configuration data. System designers should enforce strict buffer length checks before any memory copy operations occur, utilizing safe string handling functions that automatically validate input boundaries. Firmware updates from Qualcomm should be deployed immediately across all affected platforms, as the company has released patches addressing this specific buffer overflow condition. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The implementation of address space layout randomization and stack canaries could provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though these are secondary protections against the primary root cause which requires proper input validation. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments across their entire deployment portfolio to identify any other potential buffer overflow conditions that might exist within similar memory handling operations in their systems.