CVE-2020-11263 in Snapdragon Compute
Summary
by MITRE • 01/03/2022
An integer overflow due to improper check performed after the address and size passed are aligned in Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-11263 represents a critical integer overflow condition that manifests within multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon product lines including compute, connectivity, consumer IOT, industrial IOT, mobile, wired infrastructure, and networking devices. This flaw originates from inadequate validation procedures that occur after address and size parameters are aligned, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to manipulate memory operations through carefully crafted inputs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper boundary checking mechanisms within the memory management subsystem of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors. When address and size parameters undergo alignment operations, the subsequent validation logic fails to properly account for integer overflow conditions that can occur during arithmetic operations. This misconfiguration allows attackers to potentially manipulate the alignment process in ways that result in memory corruption or unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple processor architectures within the Snapdragon ecosystem, suggesting a fundamental flaw in the underlying memory management implementation rather than a isolated component issue.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-11263 extends across numerous device categories that rely on Snapdragon processors, including smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, networking equipment, and automotive systems. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause system instability through memory corruption attacks. The integer overflow condition creates opportunities for buffer overflow scenarios, memory disclosure, or privilege escalation attacks that could compromise device integrity and user data confidentiality. Given the widespread deployment of Snapdragon processors in mobile and IoT environments, the potential attack surface is substantial, affecting millions of devices across various industries including consumer electronics, industrial automation, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware and software updates from device manufacturers, as the flaw exists within the core processor architecture rather than application-level code. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack vectors, while security teams should monitor for anomalous memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and could potentially map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and memory corruption. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to reduce the effectiveness of exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any potential variants or related issues that may have emerged since the initial disclosure of this integer overflow vulnerability.