CVE-2019-14050 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Out-of-bound writes occurs due to lack of check of buffer size will cause buffer overflow only in 32bit architecture. in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in APQ8009, MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8905, Nicobar, QCS405, QCS605, Rennell, SA6155P, SDA660, SDA845, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX24, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that manifests specifically on 32-bit architectural implementations within Qualcomm's extensive semiconductor portfolio. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of buffer boundaries during memory operations, creating opportunities for out-of-bound writes that can compromise system integrity. The vulnerability affects multiple Snapdragon product lines including automotive, mobile, industrial IoT, and networking solutions, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's embedded processor ecosystem. The affected hardware platforms span from entry-level processors like MSM8905 to high-performance SoCs such as SDM850 and SDM845, demonstrating the severity and scope of the issue.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory management functions that fail to properly verify input boundaries before writing data to allocated buffers. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of Stack-based Buffer Overflow, though it specifically manifests in heap or data buffer contexts within the ARM architecture's 32-bit execution environment. The 32-bit architecture constraint is significant because it limits addressable memory space and creates different memory layout characteristics compared to 64-bit implementations, making the buffer overflow more predictable and exploitable in this specific context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the kernel or low-level system software level where memory corruption can lead to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple attack vectors and threat scenarios. An attacker could potentially leverage this buffer overflow to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service conditions within affected devices. The attack surface is broad given the widespread deployment of these processors in mobile devices, automotive systems, industrial equipment, and networking infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation potential aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 for locally executed malicious code and T1059 for command and scripting interpreters, making it a significant concern for both enterprise and consumer security. The fact that it affects automotive platforms like Snapdragon Auto means vehicles could be compromised through firmware updates or connected services.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers, along with architectural security measures such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and memory protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also conducting thorough vulnerability assessments of their deployed hardware. The remediation process requires careful coordination between chipset vendors, device manufacturers, and software developers to ensure complete coverage across all affected platforms. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment and establish monitoring protocols for unusual memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's nature makes it particularly difficult to detect through conventional means due to its low-level memory corruption characteristics.