CVE-2020-11242 in Snapdragon Industrial IOT
Summary
by MITRE • 04/07/2021
User could gain access to secure memory due to incorrect argument into address range validation api used in SDI to capture requested contents in Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-11242 represents a critical security flaw in Qualcomm's Snapdragon Industrial IoT and Snapdragon Mobile platforms that undermines memory protection mechanisms. This issue stems from improper argument handling within the address range validation Application Programming Interface used in the Secure Data Interface component, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized memory access. The vulnerability affects devices utilizing Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets, which are widely deployed in industrial IoT applications and mobile devices where secure memory operations are paramount for maintaining system integrity and data confidentiality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the incorrect parameter passing to the address range validation API, which is responsible for verifying memory access permissions within the Secure Data Interface subsystem. When malformed or improperly validated arguments are passed to this API, the validation logic fails to properly restrict access to secure memory regions, allowing unauthorized processes or malicious actors to potentially read or manipulate protected memory contents. This flaw operates at the intersection of memory management and security validation, where the API's failure to properly validate input parameters creates a bypass mechanism that could be exploited to access sensitive data stored in secure memory areas. The vulnerability manifests specifically within the Snapdragon Industrial IoT and Snapdragon Mobile platforms, indicating a chipset-level issue rather than an application-level flaw.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-11242 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables unauthorized access to secure memory that may contain sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, authentication credentials, or proprietary data. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to extract confidential information from memory regions that should remain protected, undermining the fundamental security model of the device. The implications are particularly severe in industrial IoT environments where these devices may control critical infrastructure, process sensitive data, or manage access to physical systems. The vulnerability's presence in both industrial IoT and mobile platforms suggests a widespread impact across multiple device categories, potentially affecting everything from industrial control systems to consumer mobile devices that rely on Qualcomm's secure memory management capabilities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from device manufacturers, which would address the flawed API argument handling within the Snapdragon platform's secure memory management subsystem. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual memory access patterns and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments of systems utilizing affected Snapdragon chipsets. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-248, which addresses "Uncaught Exception" conditions in software systems, and represents a specific case where improper exception handling within memory validation logic creates a security exposure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1566 for credential access through system compromise, as attackers may leverage the memory access capability to extract sensitive information or escalate privileges within the compromised system.