CVE-2019-2273 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
IOMMU page fault while playing h265 video file leads to denial of service issue in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in MSM8909W, QCS605, Qualcomm 215, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 439 / SD 429, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 665, SD 675, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 730, SD 820, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SD 8CX, SDM439, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-2273 represents a critical denial of service condition affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor variants used across automotive, mobile, and IoT devices. This issue manifests specifically during the playback of h265 video content when the IOMMU (Input-Output Memory Management Unit) encounters a page fault condition, leading to system-wide service disruption. The affected hardware platforms span a wide range of Qualcomm's product portfolio including automotive systems, mobile devices, and industrial IoT applications, indicating a broad attack surface that could impact numerous consumer and enterprise devices.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies within the IOMMU subsystem's handling of memory management during video decoding operations. When processing h265 video streams, the system's memory management unit fails to properly handle certain page fault conditions that occur during the decoding process, resulting in an unhandled exception that terminates the video playback service and potentially the entire system. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper handling of memory access violations, and demonstrates how memory management subsystems can become critical points of failure in multimedia processing pipelines. The vulnerability specifically impacts the interaction between the hardware IOMMU and the video decoding firmware, where insufficient error handling leads to system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise device availability in mission-critical applications. In automotive contexts using Snapdragon Auto platforms, video playback failures could affect infotainment systems and navigation interfaces, while in mobile and IoT devices, the denial of service could render devices temporarily unusable during media consumption. The vulnerability affects multiple generations of Snapdragon processors, suggesting that the underlying issue exists in fundamental memory management code rather than being isolated to specific hardware revisions. This widespread impact makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for device manufacturers who must address it across their entire product line. The ATT&CK framework classification would place this under T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, as it specifically targets device availability through memory management failures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2273 require a multi-layered approach addressing both firmware and software components. Device manufacturers should prioritize firmware updates that improve IOMMU error handling during video decoding operations, implementing proper exception recovery mechanisms that prevent page fault conditions from cascading into system-wide failures. System administrators and security teams should implement monitoring protocols to detect abnormal memory access patterns during video playback and establish automated recovery procedures that can gracefully handle IOMMU page faults without complete system termination. Additionally, implementing memory access controls and sandboxing mechanisms around video decoding processes can limit the scope of potential failures. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust memory management in multimedia systems and underscores the need for comprehensive testing of IOMMU behavior under various load conditions, particularly when handling high-compression formats like h265 that require intensive memory operations.