CVE-2021-1982 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2021
Possible denial of service scenario due to improper input validation of received NAS OTA message in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical denial of service condition stemming from inadequate input validation within the Network Access Server Over-The-Air messaging processing functionality of various Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The flaw resides in the insufficient sanitization and verification mechanisms applied to received NAS OTA messages, which are typically used for network configuration updates and authentication processes within mobile and automotive environments. When malformed or maliciously crafted NAS OTA messages are transmitted to affected devices, the system fails to properly validate incoming data structures, leading to potential system crashes, application termination, or complete service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper boundary checking and data parsing routines that do not adequately handle edge cases or unexpected message formats. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted NAS OTA messages that trigger memory corruption conditions or infinite loop scenarios within the processing stack. This type of flaw commonly maps to CWE-129 Input Validation and Output Encoding, where insufficient validation allows malicious inputs to bypass security controls and execute unintended system behaviors. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm Snapdragon product lines including automotive systems, mobile devices, industrial IoT deployments, and consumer connectivity solutions, amplifying its potential impact across multiple threat surfaces.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations deploying affected Snapdragon-based hardware in mission-critical applications where service availability is paramount. Automotive manufacturers face particular exposure given that NAS OTA messages are frequently used for over-the-air updates to vehicle networking systems, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt critical communication channels or disable vehicle connectivity features. The denial of service impact can extend beyond simple service interruption to include complete system lockup scenarios that may require physical intervention or power cycling to resolve. This vulnerability particularly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for the disruption of services, where adversaries target network infrastructure components to create availability issues.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation frameworks that enforce strict message format verification before processing NAS OTA communications. Organizations should deploy firmware updates from Qualcomm as soon as available, while also considering network-level filtering mechanisms to identify and block suspicious NAS OTA message patterns. The implementation of defensive programming practices including bounds checking, memory protection mechanisms, and comprehensive error handling routines can significantly reduce the attack surface. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in NAS OTA message processing that could indicate exploitation attempts, enabling rapid response to potential attacks. Security teams must also consider the broader implications for their IoT device management strategies, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all incoming network communications in embedded systems.