CVE-2020-11279 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2021
Memory corruption while processing crafted SDES packets due to improper length check in sdes packets recieved in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon product lines including automotive, connectivity, mobile, and IoT devices. The flaw manifests when processing specially crafted SDES (Session Description SDP) packets, which are commonly used in multimedia streaming and communication protocols. The root cause stems from inadequate length validation within the SDES packet processing logic, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate packet structures and trigger memory corruption conditions. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, specifically addressing improper input validation and insufficient bounds checking in network protocol processing components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to construct malicious SDES packets that, when processed by affected Snapdragon chipsets, can lead to memory corruption through buffer overflows or underflows. The improper length checks fail to validate packet boundaries before processing, enabling attackers to craft packets that exceed expected buffer sizes or manipulate packet structures to trigger unintended memory access patterns. This type of vulnerability typically enables privilege escalation or denial of service conditions, as the memory corruption can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The attack surface is particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of Snapdragon chipsets across automotive systems, mobile devices, and IoT infrastructure.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-11279 extends significantly across multiple industry sectors due to the broad device ecosystem affected. Automotive systems utilizing Snapdragon Auto platforms may face potential security risks during multimedia streaming, navigation updates, or communication with external systems. Mobile and wearable devices could experience service interruptions or unauthorized code execution during normal operation when processing network communications. IoT deployments across industrial, consumer, and enterprise environments may encounter device failures or security breaches when handling multimedia content or communication protocols. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical services depending on the specific deployment environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware and software updates from device manufacturers to address the underlying SDES packet processing logic. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous SDES packet traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation could enable attackers to execute malicious code through memory corruption. Device administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments across their Snapdragon-based deployments and implement network access controls to limit exposure to untrusted network traffic. Additionally, security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to abnormal packet processing behavior and ensure that all affected devices receive security patches as soon as they become available through official channels.