CVE-2020-3680 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE
A race condition can occur when using the fastrpc memory mapping API. in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8053, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8953, QCS605, QM215, SA415M, SDM429, SDM429W, SDM439, SDM450, SDM632, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX24, SXR1130
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3680 represents a critical race condition within the fastrpc memory mapping application programming interface found in various Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. This flaw exists across multiple product lines including automotive, consumer IoT, industrial IoT, mobile, and wearable devices, affecting a wide range of hardware platforms from entry-level processors like the MSM8909W to high-performance systems such as the SDM845 and SDX24. The race condition specifically manifests during the execution of memory mapping operations, creating potential security implications that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper synchronization mechanisms within the fastrpc subsystem that handles memory management operations. When multiple threads or processes attempt to access or modify memory mappings simultaneously, the lack of proper locking or atomic operations creates opportunities for inconsistent states to occur. This race condition can lead to memory corruption, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution depending on the specific implementation details and attack surface. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in software systems, making it a well-documented and serious security concern. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level within the memory management subsystem, potentially allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges or access protected memory regions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to device security and integrity across the affected Snapdragon platforms. The widespread presence of these chipsets in mobile devices, automotive systems, and IoT products means that exploitation could impact millions of devices simultaneously. Attackers could potentially leverage this race condition to bypass security mechanisms, execute malicious code with kernel privileges, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in memory. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects both consumer and industrial applications, including automotive infotainment systems and industrial control devices that may not receive regular security updates. This type of flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Local Privilege Escalation' through race conditions in kernel-level components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-3680 should focus on both immediate patching and long-term architectural improvements. Qualcomm has released security patches for affected platforms, which should be applied immediately to all vulnerable devices. System administrators and device manufacturers should also implement additional monitoring for anomalous memory access patterns and consider runtime protections such as kernel address space layout randomization. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in kernel-level code and highlights the need for thorough security testing of memory management subsystems. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of exploitation, while maintaining awareness of similar race condition vulnerabilities in other system components. The fix typically involves implementing proper locking mechanisms or atomic operations to prevent concurrent access to shared memory mapping resources, ensuring that the fastrpc API operates correctly under multi-threaded conditions.