CVE-2020-11230 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 03/17/2021
Potential arbitrary memory corruption when the qseecom driver updates ion physical addresses in the buffer as it exposes a physical address to user land in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-11230 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the Qualcomm Secure Execution Environment (QSEECOM) driver component. This flaw specifically manifests when the driver updates ion physical addresses within memory buffers while exposing physical addresses to user space applications. The affected platforms include Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, and Snapdragon Mobile architectures, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's automotive and mobile computing ecosystems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory address updates during the driver's interaction with ion memory management subsystems, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate physical memory addresses and potentially execute arbitrary code.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw occurs within the kernel-level qseecom driver where physical address updates are performed without adequate bounds checking or validation mechanisms. When the driver exposes physical addresses to user space applications, it creates a pathway for attackers to corrupt memory structures by manipulating the ion buffer management system. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation and improper memory management practices within kernel drivers, particularly when dealing with memory address translation and user-space kernel communication interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-11230 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides potential attackers with capabilities to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to secure execution environments. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to manipulate the physical memory addresses of critical system components, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects automotive systems through Snapdragon Auto platforms, where secure execution environments are crucial for vehicle safety systems, and mobile platforms where secure processing is essential for protecting sensitive user data and communications. The exposure of physical addresses to user space applications creates a direct attack surface that could be leveraged for privilege escalation, data theft, or system disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment from Qualcomm, which typically involves updating the qseecom driver with proper bounds checking and memory validation mechanisms. System administrators should implement strict access controls and monitoring of kernel driver interactions, particularly around memory management operations. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through kernel vulnerabilities, and T1547.001, covering registry run keys and startup folder modifications. Additional protective measures include enabling kernel address space layout randomization, implementing secure boot mechanisms, and conducting regular security assessments of kernel modules. Organizations should also consider implementing memory protection techniques such as heap spraying prevention and address space layout randomization to reduce the exploitability of similar vulnerabilities in the broader system landscape.