CVE-2019-2268 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Possible OOB read issue in P2P action frames while handling WLAN management frame in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, QCA6174A, QCA6574AU, QCA9377, QCA9379, QCS405, QCS605, SDA660, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, SM6150
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds read condition that occurs within the peer-to-peer p2p action frame processing mechanism of Qualcomm's wireless networking stack. The flaw manifests during the handling of wlan management frames specifically when processing peer-to-peer action frames, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to execute unauthorized memory access operations. The vulnerability affects a comprehensive range of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets spanning automotive, consumer electronics, industrial iot, and mobile connectivity platforms, indicating a widespread impact across multiple product lines. This issue arises from insufficient bounds checking within the wireless management frame processing code, where the system fails to properly validate the length or structure of incoming p2p action frames before attempting to read memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it exists in the foundational wireless networking components that handle management frame processing, potentially allowing attackers to access memory regions beyond the intended buffer boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft and transmit specially malformed p2p action frames to a vulnerable device. When the wireless stack processes these frames, the insufficient input validation leads to memory read operations that extend beyond allocated buffer limits. This memory access violation can result in information disclosure, system instability, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the memory locations accessed. The impact extends across multiple Snapdragon platforms including the APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, QCA6174A, QCA6574AU, QCA9377, QCA9379, QCS405, QCS605, SDA660, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, and SM6150 chipsets. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-125 out-of-bounds read, a well-documented weakness in software security that falls under the broader category of memory safety issues. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, and T1566 for spearphishing attachments, as attackers could potentially leverage this weakness in wireless network communications to execute arbitrary code or gain unauthorized access to device memory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory access violations to potentially compromise the entire wireless communication stack of affected devices. Devices operating on vulnerable platforms could experience denial of service conditions, unauthorized data extraction, or even complete system compromise depending on the memory locations accessed during the out-of-bounds read operation. The widespread nature of affected chipsets means that numerous consumer devices, automotive systems, industrial sensors, and mobile platforms could be at risk, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors targeting wireless communication infrastructure. Organizations deploying devices with these vulnerable chipsets must consider the potential for remote exploitation, particularly in environments where wireless networks are extensively used for device communication and control. The vulnerability's presence in both consumer and industrial platforms indicates that it could affect everything from smartphones and tablets to automotive infotainment systems and industrial IoT devices. Security teams should prioritize patching efforts across all affected platforms, as the out-of-bounds read vulnerability could potentially be chained with other exploits to create more sophisticated attack vectors. The remediation approach requires firmware updates from device manufacturers to address the insufficient bounds checking in the wireless management frame processing code, specifically targeting the peer-to-peer action frame handling components within the wlan subsystem.