CVE-2022-22071 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2022
Possible use after free when process shell memory is freed using IOCTL munmap call and process initialization is in progress in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition that occurs during the dynamic memory management process of shell processes on Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms. The flaw manifests when the system employs an IOCTL munmap call to release shell memory while the process initialization is still in progress, creating a temporal window where freed memory can still be accessed by subsequent operations. The vulnerability affects multiple Snapdragon product lines including automotive, compute, connectivity, consumer IoT, industrial IoT, mobile, and voice/music applications, indicating a systemic issue within the memory management subsystem of these processors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper synchronization between memory deallocation and process initialization phases. When the munmap system call is executed to free shell memory, the operating system does not adequately ensure that all pending operations or references to that memory have completed before the deallocation occurs. This creates a race condition where the memory management subsystem may attempt to access or reuse memory that has already been freed, leading to potential arbitrary code execution or system instability. The issue is particularly concerning in automotive and industrial applications where system reliability and safety are paramount, as memory corruption could lead to critical system failures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability spans across various security domains and attack vectors. From an exploitability perspective, this use-after-free condition could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the entire system. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free errors, and could map to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution. In automotive environments, this could represent a significant threat to vehicle safety systems, while in IoT applications it may enable persistent backdoor access or denial of service conditions that could affect critical infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper memory synchronization mechanisms and ensuring that all memory deallocation operations occur only after process initialization is complete. System architects should consider adding additional validation checks before memory release operations and implement robust memory management protocols that prevent race conditions between process initialization and memory deallocation. Organizations should prioritize patching affected Snapdragon devices and consider implementing runtime monitoring to detect anomalous memory access patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems and underscores the need for comprehensive memory safety testing in automotive and IoT environments where system failures can have severe consequences.