CVE-2021-1888 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2021
Memory corruption in key parsing and import function due to double freeing the same heap allocation in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon product lines including automotive, connectivity, consumer IoT, industrial IoT, and wearable devices. The flaw manifests in the key parsing and import functions where a double free operation occurs on the same heap allocation, creating a condition that can be exploited to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where the same memory block gets freed twice, leading to undefined behavior and potential exploitation opportunities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves heap management functions that fail to properly track memory allocation states, resulting in a scenario where a memory block allocated for key data processing is freed once, but then freed again during subsequent processing operations. This double free condition creates a heap corruption state that can be leveraged by attackers to manipulate memory pointers or overwrite critical data structures. The vulnerability affects multiple Snapdragon product categories as outlined in the CVE description, indicating a widespread implementation issue within Qualcomm's cryptographic processing libraries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to device security and integrity across various deployment scenarios including automotive systems, IoT devices, and wearable technology. Attackers could potentially exploit this condition to gain unauthorized access to cryptographic keys, manipulate secure communications, or escalate privileges within the affected systems. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially affect entire fleets of connected vehicles or IoT networks where these processors are deployed. The vulnerability's presence in both consumer and industrial IoT products suggests potential supply chain risks and cross-domain exploitation possibilities.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework, particularly those targeting memory corruption vulnerabilities classified under CWE-415. The double free condition creates opportunities for heap spraying techniques and memory layout manipulation that can be used to achieve code execution. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper memory management practices including heap allocation tracking, use of memory safety libraries, and regular security updates to patch affected firmware versions. Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and memory safety reviews in cryptographic implementations, particularly in embedded systems where resource constraints may lead to aggressive memory management techniques that can introduce such flaws.