CVE-2021-1898 in Snapdragon Consumer IOT
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2021
Possible buffer over-read due to incorrect overflow check when loading splash image in Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer over-read condition that occurs during the loading process of splash images in various Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The flaw stems from an incorrect overflow check implementation within the image loading subsystem, specifically affecting devices utilizing Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, and Snapdragon Wearables product lines. The vulnerability manifests when the system attempts to process splash images, particularly those exceeding expected size parameters, leading to memory access violations that can result in system instability or potential code execution.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper bounds checking mechanisms within the image processing pipeline. When splash images are loaded, the system performs validation checks to ensure the image data fits within allocated memory buffers. However, the overflow check logic contains a logical flaw that allows memory access beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This condition creates a scenario where the system may read or write data to memory locations that are not properly allocated for the splash image processing task. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though it manifests as a read condition rather than a write operation, making it particularly challenging to detect and exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple device categories and deployment scenarios. Mobile devices, wearables, and IoT systems that rely on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors for their primary processing capabilities become susceptible to this condition. The buffer over-read can lead to system crashes, application instability, or potentially enable attackers to extract sensitive information from memory locations adjacent to the corrupted buffer. In mobile and wearable environments, this vulnerability could result in complete device failure or unauthorized access to device memory, while industrial IoT applications might experience operational disruptions that could affect critical infrastructure monitoring or control systems.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and information gathering through memory corruption. The flaw could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to device memory, extract device-specific information, or cause denial of service conditions that impact device functionality. The vulnerability's widespread impact across multiple Snapdragon product lines indicates that exploitation could affect a substantial portion of connected devices, including smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and industrial IoT sensors. Organizations deploying devices with affected Snapdragon chipsets should prioritize patch management and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers, as Qualcomm has released patches addressing this specific buffer over-read condition. System administrators and device security teams should implement memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to reduce exploitability. Network monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around splash image loading processes. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing additional input validation checks and memory access controls within their image processing pipelines to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations. The vulnerability underscores the importance of rigorous code review processes and comprehensive testing procedures, particularly for memory management functions in embedded systems and mobile device processors.