CVE-2020-11274 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2021
Denial of service in MODEM due to assert to the invalid configuration in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-11274 represents a critical denial of service condition affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon processor variants used in automotive, mobile, and industrial IoT applications. This flaw manifests when the modem component encounters an invalid configuration during operation, triggering an assertion failure that results in system-wide service disruption. The affected product lines include Snapdragon Auto for automotive applications, Snapdragon Compute for edge computing devices, Snapdragon Connectivity for networking equipment, Snapdragon Consumer IOT for home automation systems, Snapdragon Industrial IOT for manufacturing environments, and Snapdragon Mobile for smartphone and tablet platforms. The vulnerability's impact spans across diverse hardware ecosystems where Qualcomm's modem subsystems are integrated, creating widespread potential for operational disruption.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation within the modem's configuration handling mechanism. When the modem receives malformed or unexpected configuration parameters, the system fails to properly handle these invalid inputs through graceful error recovery processes. Instead, the modem component executes an assertion that terminates the modem service or causes the entire system to freeze, effectively rendering the device non-functional. This assertion failure occurs at a low-level system component that manages communication protocols and network connectivity, making it particularly dangerous as it directly impacts the device's ability to maintain communication with external networks. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-248, which addresses "Uncaught Exception" conditions where programs fail to handle exceptional circumstances properly, leading to system instability and denial of service.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-11274 extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise safety-critical systems in automotive environments where Snapdragon Auto platforms are deployed. In mobile devices, this vulnerability could result in complete loss of cellular connectivity and network services, while in industrial IoT deployments, it might cause production line shutdowns or remote monitoring failures. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be triggered through normal device operation when receiving specific network configurations or firmware updates. Attackers could potentially craft malicious network packets or configuration data that, when processed by the affected modem, would trigger the assertion failure. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited remotely without requiring physical access to the device, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1489 for denial of service through system resource exhaustion or component failure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers, as Qualcomm has released patches addressing the invalid configuration handling issue. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected devices, particularly in automotive and industrial environments where service availability is critical. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual modem behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while device hardening measures should include input validation routines that prevent malformed configuration data from reaching the modem component. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust error handling in embedded systems and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases in modem configuration processing. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack vectors that could exploit this vulnerability, while maintaining detailed logging of modem operations to detect anomalous behavior that might precede exploitation attempts.