CVE-2019-14037 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Close and bind operations done on a socket can lead to a Use-After-Free condition. 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 Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8905, MSM8909W, MSM8996, MSM8996AU, QCN7605, QCN7606, QCS605, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM439, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM8150, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor variants across automotive, mobile, and IoT device categories. The flaw occurs during socket close and bind operations when memory management fails to properly handle resource deallocation, creating opportunities for attackers to exploit dangling pointers. The vulnerability affects a wide range of hardware platforms including APQ8009, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, and numerous other models spanning the Snapdragon automotive, compute, connectivity, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, mobile, voice/music, and wearable product lines. This widespread impact across multiple product categories indicates a fundamental flaw in the underlying socket management implementation that affects both consumer and industrial applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during socket lifecycle operations where the system frees memory associated with socket structures but continues to reference those freed resources. When close and bind operations are performed concurrently or in specific sequences, the system may attempt to access memory that has already been deallocated, leading to unpredictable behavior. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and represents a classic memory safety issue that can be exploited through various attack vectors. The exploitation potential increases significantly when considering that socket operations are fundamental to network communication and can be triggered through legitimate network traffic or malicious input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to potentially enable remote code execution or privilege escalation attacks. Attackers could leverage this condition to execute arbitrary code on affected devices, particularly in automotive applications where vehicle systems rely on these processors for critical functions. The vulnerability affects both mobile devices and industrial IoT systems, creating risks for connected vehicles, industrial control systems, and consumer electronics that depend on Snapdragon processors. The widespread presence of this flaw across multiple generations of Snapdragon hardware means that numerous devices from different manufacturers could be vulnerable, potentially affecting millions of end-user devices. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation could lead to persistent access and command execution capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems through firmware updates from device manufacturers. Organizations should prioritize updating automotive systems, mobile devices, and IoT infrastructure to prevent exploitation. System administrators should monitor for any signs of unauthorized access or system instability that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of socket operations can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Device manufacturers must ensure proper memory management practices in their socket implementations and conduct thorough security testing for similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of memory safety in embedded systems and the need for robust resource management in processor-level implementations. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar use-after-free conditions that could exist in other system components or third-party libraries.