CVE-2019-2346 in Snapdragon Compute
Summary
by MITRE
Firmware is getting into loop of overwriting memory when scan command is given from host because of improper validation. in Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in IPQ8074, QCA8081, QCS404, QCS405, QCS605, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 625, SD 636, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 820, SD 835, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 855, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-2346 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor families and integrated circuit platforms. This flaw manifests as an infinite loop during firmware execution when a scan command is received from a host system, creating a persistent state where memory operations continuously overwrite themselves. The root cause stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the firmware's command processing pipeline, specifically in the handling of scan commands that originate from external hosts. This improper validation allows malformed or unexpected command sequences to trigger erroneous memory management behaviors that result in system instability and potential denial of service conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the firmware's memory management subsystem failing to properly validate command parameters before executing memory modification operations. When a scan command is processed, the firmware does not adequately verify the legitimacy of memory addresses or operation parameters, leading to a scenario where memory locations become trapped in a continuous overwrite cycle. This behavior creates a deterministic fault condition that can be reliably triggered by sending specific command sequences from a host system, making it both exploitable and predictable. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm platforms including mobile processors, industrial IoT devices, consumer IoT solutions, and networking infrastructure components, indicating a systemic flaw in the firmware architecture across multiple product lines.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for affected systems including complete system lockup, service disruption, and potential data integrity issues. The infinite loop condition prevents normal system operation and can lead to extended downtime for devices that rely on these processors. Network infrastructure devices using affected Qualcomm chips may experience complete service outages, while mobile and IoT devices could become unresponsive to user commands or system operations. The vulnerability's widespread impact across multiple Snapdragon product families suggests that organizations with deployments spanning various device types and applications face coordinated risk exposure. This flaw particularly affects systems where firmware updates may be difficult to deploy or where immediate system recovery is critical for operational continuity.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to prevent unauthorized host access to vulnerable devices, disabling unnecessary scan command functionality where possible, and establishing monitoring for unusual command patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also prioritize firmware update deployment across affected platforms to address the underlying validation issues. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input length or range, and represents a variant of memory corruption issues that can lead to privilege escalation or system compromise. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service, potentially enabling adversaries to gain persistent access to affected systems or disrupt critical network operations. The widespread nature of this vulnerability across multiple processor generations indicates that defensive measures should consider the entire product ecosystem rather than isolated device types.