CVE-2019-14030 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
The size of a buffer is determined by addition and multiplications operations that have the potential to overflow due to lack of bound check in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in MDM9205, QCS404, Rennell, SC8180X, SDM845, SDM850, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2020
This vulnerability exists in multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across various product lines including automotive, consumer IoT, industrial IoT, mobile, and networking solutions. The core issue stems from improper handling of buffer size calculations where arithmetic operations involving addition and multiplication can result in integer overflow conditions. When these operations exceed the maximum representable value for the data type used, the resulting buffer size becomes incorrect, potentially leading to memory corruption scenarios. The vulnerability affects specific hardware platforms such as MDM9205, QCS404, Rennell, SC8180X, SDM845, SDM850, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, and SXR2130, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's product portfolio. The lack of proper bounds checking in these calculations creates a predictable attack surface where malicious input could trigger the overflow condition and subsequently lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical flaw manifests when the system performs arithmetic operations to determine buffer allocation sizes without validating whether the results exceed the maximum allowable values for the target data type. This type of vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow condition that can be exploited through integer overflow scenarios. The absence of input validation and bounds checking in the calculation logic creates a scenario where attackers can manipulate input parameters to cause the arithmetic operations to produce unexpected results. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is a well-documented weakness in software security practices. The impact extends beyond simple memory corruption as the affected systems include automotive platforms where such vulnerabilities could potentially compromise vehicle safety systems and consumer IoT devices where device integrity is paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant across multiple domains where Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets are deployed. In automotive applications, the compromised systems could affect critical vehicle functions including infotainment, telematics, and safety systems, potentially creating attack vectors for unauthorized access to vehicle control mechanisms. For consumer IoT devices, the vulnerability could enable attackers to gain persistent access to connected devices, potentially leading to data breaches or device takeover scenarios. Industrial IoT deployments face similar risks where operational technology systems could be compromised, potentially affecting manufacturing processes, monitoring systems, and industrial control networks. The networking and wired infrastructure components are particularly concerning as they form the backbone of communication systems where such vulnerabilities could enable network-level attacks or denial of service conditions. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could be leveraged for privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms, with potential mapping to techniques such as T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) and T1547.001 (Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder).
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms in all arithmetic operations that determine buffer sizes. System designers and developers should ensure that all integer operations include overflow detection and that buffer allocations are validated against maximum allowable sizes before memory allocation occurs. The implementation of compiler-based protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and control flow integrity checks can provide additional layers of defense. Qualcomm has issued firmware updates and patches addressing this vulnerability in affected platforms, and system administrators should ensure all devices are updated to the latest firmware versions. Additionally, runtime monitoring and anomaly detection systems should be deployed to identify potential exploitation attempts, particularly in critical infrastructure environments where the impact of such vulnerabilities could be catastrophic. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of systems utilizing these chipsets can help identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure proper implementation of security controls.