CVE-2020-11134 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2021
Possible stack out of bound write might happen due to time bitmap length and bit duration fields of the attributes like NAN ranging setup attribute inside a NAN management frame are not Properly validated in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical stack buffer overflow condition that can occur within Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platform implementations. The flaw manifests when processing NAN (Neighbor Awareness Networking) management frames, specifically within the handling of time bitmap length and bit duration attributes that are part of the NAN ranging setup attribute. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of these critical fields, allowing maliciously crafted NAN management frames to trigger unauthorized memory writes beyond the allocated stack buffer boundaries.
The technical implementation involves the improper validation of bitmap length and bit duration parameters within the NAN management frame processing logic. When these attributes are not properly validated, the system fails to verify that the specified bitmap length aligns with the actual bit duration values, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the buffer allocation calculations. This misvalidation allows for stack-based buffer overflow conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent stack memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and leading to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability spans across multiple Snapdragon product lines including automotive platforms, mobile devices, connectivity solutions, and industrial IoT applications. Attackers could leverage this weakness by transmitting specially crafted NAN management frames to devices running vulnerable Snapdragon chipsets, potentially gaining unauthorized access to system resources or executing malicious code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in automotive environments where wireless communication systems handle critical safety functions, as it could potentially compromise vehicle communication networks and lead to serious safety implications.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is categorized under the broader category of buffer overflow conditions that occur when data is written beyond the bounds of a stack-allocated buffer. The issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as the exploitation could involve command injection through corrupted memory execution flows. Additionally, it relates to T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, since the attack vector could involve sending malicious NAN frames through compromised wireless networks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation for all NAN management frame attributes, particularly the time bitmap length and bit duration fields. System vendors should deploy firmware updates that include proper bounds checking and parameter validation before processing any NAN management frames. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be implemented to detect anomalous NAN frame patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, runtime protections such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization should be enabled to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their wireless communication systems to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in related components.