CVE-2019-2275 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
While deserializing any key blob during key operations, buffer overflow could occur exposing partial key information if any key operations are invoked(Depends on CVE-2018-13907) in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8996AU, QCS404, QCS605, Qualcomm 215, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 439 / SD 429, SD 450, SD 625, SD 632, SD 636, SD 650/52, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM439, SDM630, SDM660, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that occurs during key blob deserialization processes within Qualcomm's mobile and embedded security frameworks. The flaw manifests when the system attempts to deserialize cryptographic key data during various key operations, creating a potential exposure point where partial key information could be leaked. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at a fundamental level of cryptographic operations, affecting the core security infrastructure of numerous Qualcomm chipsets across multiple product lines. The issue is dependent on CVE-2018-13907, indicating a chain of vulnerabilities that must be addressed together to prevent exploitation. The buffer overflow condition specifically targets the key blob deserialization mechanism, which is essential for secure key management and cryptographic operations throughout the device's lifecycle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking during deserialization of key data structures. When the system processes key blobs containing cryptographic keys, insufficient validation occurs to ensure that the incoming data fits within allocated memory buffers. This allows attackers to potentially craft malicious key data that exceeds buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption and information disclosure. The flaw is classified as a buffer overflow under CWE-121, which specifically addresses issues where insufficient bounds checking leads to memory corruption. The vulnerability affects a vast ecosystem of Qualcomm chipsets including the MDM9150, MDM9205, and various Snapdragon series processors, indicating a widespread impact across automotive, mobile, industrial, and consumer IoT applications. The exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to extract partial cryptographic key information, potentially compromising the security of encrypted communications and data storage.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple security domains including device authentication, secure communications, and data protection mechanisms. Attackers who successfully exploit this buffer overflow could gain access to partial key material, which might be sufficient to weaken cryptographic protections or enable further attacks against the system. The vulnerability affects devices ranging from smartphones and tablets to automotive systems and industrial IoT deployments, creating a significant risk across various sectors. The exploitation could potentially lead to privilege escalation, key recovery attacks, or complete system compromise depending on the specific implementation and attack surface. Organizations deploying affected Qualcomm chipsets face substantial security risks as this vulnerability undermines the fundamental cryptographic protections that secure device communications and user data. The dependent relationship with CVE-2018-13907 suggests that exploitation may require a multi-stage attack approach, where the initial vulnerability creates conditions for subsequent exploitation of this buffer overflow.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. Qualcomm has released security patches and firmware updates that address the buffer overflow condition through enhanced bounds checking and memory validation during key blob deserialization. System administrators should prioritize applying these updates across all affected devices and chipsets to prevent exploitation. The mitigation approach should include monitoring for anomalous key operation patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation, as well as implementing additional security controls around key management operations. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts. Security teams must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected hardware and ensure complete patch deployment across their entire infrastructure. The implementation of secure coding practices and regular security testing should be enhanced to prevent similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations, particularly focusing on input validation and memory management practices. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust memory safety controls in cryptographic implementations and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing across all system components that handle sensitive data.