CVE-2020-3620 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
u'Lack of check of integer overflow while doing a round up operation for data read from shared memory for G-link SMEM transport can lead to corruption and potential information leak' in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, Bitra, IPQ6018, IPQ8074, Kamorta, MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8996, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCA8081, QCM2150, QCN7605, QCS404, QCS405, QCS605, QCS610, QM215, Rennell, SA415M, SA6155P, Saipan, SC7180, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM429W, SDM439, SDM450, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR1130, SXR2130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical integer overflow condition within the G-link SMEM transport mechanism of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, affecting a vast ecosystem of mobile and automotive processors. The flaw manifests during round-up operations for data read from shared memory, where insufficient validation allows for potential arithmetic overflow conditions that can compromise system integrity. The vulnerability impacts multiple generations of Qualcomm's mobile, automotive, and IoT processors including the APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, and numerous other models across various product lines from the Snapdragon 400 series through the latest SDM850 and SDX55 platforms. The integer overflow occurs specifically when processing data that flows through the shared memory transport layer, where the system performs mathematical operations to align data boundaries for transmission across the G-link interface. This particular flaw resides in the kernel-level memory management components that handle inter-processor communication, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect system stability and data confidentiality. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-191 as an integer underflow (wrap or wraparound) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.003 for execution through kernel modules. The lack of proper bounds checking during memory alignment operations creates a scenario where malicious actors could potentially manipulate data structures to trigger overflow conditions that might result in memory corruption, information disclosure, or even privilege escalation within the affected systems. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption as the shared memory transport layer is fundamental to inter-core communication in these systems, potentially affecting the integrity of critical automotive functions, mobile device operations, and IoT connectivity services.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires careful manipulation of data flow through the shared memory interface to trigger the integer overflow condition during the round-up calculation phase. When the system attempts to perform arithmetic operations to align data boundaries, an insufficient check for potential overflow allows the calculation to wrap around to a smaller value, potentially causing memory pointers to reference incorrect locations. This can result in data corruption within the shared memory space, where legitimate data structures become overwritten or where memory access violations occur. The vulnerability affects multiple Qualcomm chipsets spanning from older generation processors like the MSM8905 through modern platforms such as the SDM850 and SDX55, indicating a widespread issue that has persisted across multiple product generations. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level within the memory management subsystem, meaning that exploitation could potentially lead to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. The shared memory transport mechanism is critical for inter-processor communication in these systems, making this vulnerability a potential attack vector for compromising the integrity of automotive systems, mobile device functionality, and IoT network connectivity. The integer overflow specifically occurs during memory alignment operations where the system calculates buffer sizes or offsets, and the absence of proper overflow detection allows malicious input to cause unexpected behavior in the memory management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple domains including automotive infotainment systems, mobile devices, industrial IoT deployments, and wireless infrastructure components that rely on Qualcomm's Snapdragon platforms. In automotive applications, this vulnerability could potentially affect vehicle communication systems, infotainment units, or even safety-critical functions that depend on proper memory management and inter-processor communication. Mobile device users could experience system instability, application crashes, or potential information leakage through memory corruption attacks that exploit this flaw. The vulnerability's presence in both consumer and industrial IoT devices raises concerns about supply chain security, as many connected devices rely on these Qualcomm chipsets for their core functionality. Network infrastructure components using these processors for connectivity management could also be at risk, potentially affecting the reliability of wireless networks and communication protocols. The attack surface is particularly broad given that the vulnerability affects both mobile and automotive processors, with some models like the MDM9607 and QCS605 being specifically designed for wireless communication and networking applications. The potential for information leakage through memory corruption means that sensitive data could be exposed to unauthorized parties, particularly in systems where shared memory is used to pass confidential information between different processing cores or subsystems. Organizations deploying these chipsets in critical infrastructure must consider the risk of exploitation through remote or local attack vectors that could compromise system integrity and data confidentiality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate operational concerns and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in future deployments. The most effective immediate mitigation involves applying firmware and software updates from Qualcomm that include proper integer overflow checks and bounds validation within the shared memory transport layer. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous memory access patterns or unexpected behavior in the G-link SMEM transport mechanism. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of exploitation by restricting access to vulnerable systems and components. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms that can detect and prevent malicious manipulation of memory alignment operations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation, particularly in kernel-level code that handles memory management operations. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of systems using affected Qualcomm chipsets to identify potential attack vectors and implement appropriate defensive measures. Given the widespread nature of this vulnerability across multiple product lines, organizations should also consider hardware-level mitigations such as memory protection units or enhanced memory integrity checking mechanisms. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that the implemented mitigations are effective against potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the need for better integration of security testing into the development lifecycle, particularly for critical system components like memory management and inter-processor communication mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper code review processes that specifically focus on integer overflow conditions and memory alignment operations can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future software releases.