CVE-2019-14131 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Out of bound write can occur in radio measurement request if STA receives multiple invalid rrm measurement request from AP in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music in APQ8053, APQ8096AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCA6574AU, QCS605, Rennell, SA6155P, Saipan, SC8180X, SDM660, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds write condition that affects multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across various product lines including automotive, mobile, and IoT devices. The flaw manifests when a station (STA) receives multiple invalid radio measurement request frames from an access point (AP), specifically within the radio resource management (RRM) measurement request processing subsystem. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking in the wireless firmware implementation, where the device fails to properly validate the length and structure of incoming measurement request frames before attempting to process them. This allows an attacker positioned within the wireless network to craft malicious frames that can cause the receiving device to write data beyond the allocated memory buffer, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system crashes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the wireless subsystem's handling of RRM measurement requests which are part of the IEEE 802.11k standard for radio resource management. When multiple malformed measurement requests are received in quick succession, the processing logic fails to maintain proper buffer boundaries, creating an opportunity for attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write, which specifically addresses writing to memory locations outside the bounds of allocated buffers. The attack surface is particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of affected Snapdragon chipsets in mobile devices, automotive systems, and IoT products, making it a prime target for exploitation in wireless network environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to potentially enable full system compromise. An attacker could leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code on the affected device, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or using the compromised device as a pivot point for further network attacks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only the ability to transmit wireless frames to the target device, making it particularly dangerous in environments where wireless access is untrusted, such as public Wi-Fi networks or automotive infotainment systems. The affected chipsets span multiple generations and product families, indicating a systemic issue in the wireless processing stack that affects numerous device types including smartphones, tablets, automotive infotainment systems, and industrial IoT devices.
Mitigation strategies should focus on firmware updates provided by Qualcomm and device manufacturers, as the vulnerability resides in the hardware-level wireless processing components. Network administrators should implement additional wireless security measures such as monitoring for unusual RRM frame patterns and implementing rate limiting for measurement requests. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in wireless protocol implementations and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as successful exploitation could lead to command execution capabilities. Device manufacturers should also consider implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to reduce the exploitability of such buffer overflow conditions. The widespread nature of affected products underscores the need for coordinated security response efforts across the automotive and mobile industries to ensure comprehensive remediation of this critical vulnerability.