CVE-2021-1899 in Snapdragon Consumer IOT
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2021
Possible buffer over read due to lack of length check while flashing meta images in Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overread condition affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon product lines including consumer iot, industrial iot, mobile, and wearable devices. The flaw occurs during the flashing process of meta images, where insufficient length validation allows malicious actors to read memory beyond allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 which specifically addresses buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking permits access to adjacent memory regions. The technical implementation involves the firmware flashing mechanism failing to validate the size of incoming meta image data against the expected buffer dimensions, creating an opportunity for unauthorized memory access patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple device categories that utilize Qualcomm's Snapdragon platforms, potentially enabling attackers to extract sensitive information from device memory. During the flashing process, when meta images are written to device storage, the absence of proper length validation allows for data to be read beyond the intended buffer limits. This could expose device-specific information including cryptographic keys, configuration parameters, or other sensitive data stored in adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile and wearable devices where personal data and authentication credentials are commonly stored, as it could lead to complete device compromise and data exfiltration.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under ATT&CK matrix domain T1059 where adversaries may leverage system-level vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to memory contents. This issue affects the firmware update process which is critical for device security and functionality, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate privileges or extract sensitive information. The vulnerability's presence in consumer and industrial iot devices also raises concerns about supply chain attacks where malicious actors could target the update mechanism to compromise multiple devices simultaneously. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from device manufacturers, enhanced input validation for flash operations, and monitoring for anomalous update activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.
The root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate defensive programming practices where buffer size validation is not properly enforced during firmware flashing operations. This type of flaw demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and bounds checking in embedded systems development, particularly in security-critical components such as firmware update mechanisms. The widespread impact across multiple Snapdragon product lines indicates that this represents a systemic issue in Qualcomm's firmware handling implementation rather than an isolated incident, requiring comprehensive security review of related update processes and memory management routines.