CVE-2019-2271 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer over read can happen while parsing downlink session management OTA messages if network sends un-intended values in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8939, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8976, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCM2150, QCS605, QM215, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM439, SDM450, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016, SXR1130, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer over-read condition that occurs during the parsing of downlink session management over-the-air messages within Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive and mobile platform implementations. The flaw manifests when network entities transmit unintended or malformed values that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries during message processing. Such buffer over-reads create potential security risks where attackers could exploit the improper memory access patterns to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The vulnerability affects a comprehensive range of Snapdragon chipsets spanning automotive, industrial, consumer IoT, and mobile device categories, indicating a widespread impact across multiple product lines and use cases.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and buffer management within the session management message parsing components of the Qualcomm platform firmware. When processing downlink messages, the system fails to properly validate the size and content of incoming data fields before attempting to read from allocated memory buffers. This allows malicious or malformed network traffic to trigger memory access violations that can result in information disclosure, system crashes, or potentially unauthorized code execution. The flaw operates at the application processor level, affecting the baseband processor communication handling mechanisms that manage session management protocols. According to CWE classification, this corresponds to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which represents a fundamental memory safety issue where programs access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple domains including automotive connectivity, mobile communications, and IoT device management. In automotive applications, this could potentially compromise vehicle connectivity systems and communication with fleet management platforms, while in mobile devices it affects network session handling and data transfer operations. The affected devices span from entry-level processors like MSM8905 to high-end platforms such as SDM850 and SDX55, indicating that both budget and premium consumer devices are at risk. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability through network-based attacks, sending specially crafted downlink messages that trigger the buffer over-read condition during normal operation. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential harvesting through network-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms and memory boundary checks within the session management message parsing components. Device manufacturers and OEMs should prioritize firmware updates that address the buffer overflow conditions through proper bounds checking and memory allocation management. Security patches should include enhanced validation of message field sizes and content before memory access operations occur, preventing the exploitation of improper buffer handling. Additionally, network monitoring systems should be implemented to detect and filter anomalous downlink messages that might trigger this vulnerability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and memory safety mechanisms in embedded systems, particularly in automotive and IoT environments where device reliability and security are paramount. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious network traffic that could exploit this class of vulnerability.