CVE-2019-14111 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Possible buffer overflow while handling NAN reception of NMF in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in IPQ6018, IPQ8074, Nicobar, QCA6390, QCA8081, QCN7605, QCS404, QCS405, Rennell, SC7180, SC8180X, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that occurs during the processing of NaN (Not a Number) values within the Network Management Framework of Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platforms. The flaw manifests in the handling of malformed floating-point data during network management operations, creating an exploitable condition that could allow remote code execution or system compromise. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm chipsets including the IPQ6018, IPQ8074, Nicobar, QCA6390, QCA8081, QCN7605, QCS404, QCS405, Rennell, SC7180, SC8180X, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, and SXR2130 platforms, indicating a widespread impact across automotive, mobile, and networking infrastructure devices. The buffer overflow occurs when the system processes invalid floating-point values during network management protocol operations, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory boundary checking within the NMF processing components of Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets. When receiving malformed network management frames containing invalid floating-point data, the system fails to properly validate the NaN values before processing, leading to stack-based or heap-based buffer overflows depending on the specific implementation. This condition aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient bounds checking in floating-point data handling operations, where the system assumes valid input without proper sanitization mechanisms. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the network management level, potentially allowing remote attackers to exploit the vulnerability through network-based attacks without requiring physical access to the device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple domains including automotive systems, mobile devices, and networking infrastructure where Qualcomm's Snapdragon platforms are deployed. Automotive applications using Snapdragon Auto platforms could be compromised through remote attacks, potentially affecting vehicle safety systems and connectivity features. Mobile devices running on Snapdragon Mobile platforms may experience unauthorized code execution, leading to data theft, system compromise, or denial of service conditions. The networking infrastructure components using Snapdragon Connectivity and Wired Infrastructure platforms could be targeted to disrupt network operations or gain unauthorized access to corporate networks. This vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter execution, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1566 for phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to affected systems. The widespread deployment of these chipsets across automotive, mobile, and networking domains creates a significant attack surface that could be exploited by threat actors targeting critical infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms, memory protection features, and firmware updates to address the buffer overflow condition. Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Qualcomm and device vendors to remediate the vulnerability, while also implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include enabling memory protection features such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention to reduce the effectiveness of exploitation attempts. Security teams should monitor for unusual network traffic patterns or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on network management protocol communications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems and the need for comprehensive input validation, especially for floating-point data handling operations. Regular security assessments of automotive and networking systems using affected Qualcomm chipsets should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure proper patch management across all deployed devices.