CVE-2021-1972 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 09/08/2021
Possible buffer overflow due to improper validation of device types during P2P search in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow condition that emerges during peer-to-peer device discovery operations within Qualcomm's Snapdragon automotive and mobile platform ecosystems. The flaw stems from inadequate validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify device type specifications during wireless communication searches, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The vulnerability affects multiple Snapdragon product lines including automotive systems, mobile devices, industrial internet of things applications, and wireless networking infrastructure, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's hardware portfolio.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the system processes device type information during P2P search procedures without sufficient bounds checking or input sanitization. This allows attackers to craft malicious device type indicators that exceed allocated buffer space, potentially leading to stack corruption or memory overwrite conditions. The flaw operates at the network communication layer where device discovery protocols are processed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple devices attempt to establish connections simultaneously. According to CWE standards, this manifests as a classic buffer overflow vulnerability classified under CWE-121, representing heap-based or stack-based buffer overflows that can be exploited through improper input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across various deployment scenarios where Snapdragon-based devices operate in connected environments. Automotive systems become susceptible to remote code execution attacks during vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, while mobile devices face potential compromise during wireless discovery processes. Industrial IoT deployments could experience service disruption or unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components, and networking equipment may suffer from denial of service conditions that affect connectivity. The vulnerability's exploitation potential aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to command and control operations and privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain elevated system privileges.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms that enforce strict device type specification limits during P2P search operations. System administrators must ensure firmware updates are applied promptly to address the vulnerability, as Qualcomm has released patches for affected platforms. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the scope of potential exploitation, particularly in automotive and industrial environments. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous device discovery patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that proper buffer management practices are implemented across all affected Snapdragon-based platforms. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in embedded systems, particularly in automotive and industrial applications where security failures can have significant operational consequences.