CVE-2022-25652 in Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2022
Cryptographic issues in BSP due to improper hash verification in Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-25652 represents a critical cryptographic weakness within the Boot Sequence Processor (BSP) of Qualcomm Snapdragon wired infrastructure and networking components. This flaw manifests in the improper implementation of hash verification mechanisms that are fundamental to ensuring the integrity and authenticity of boot processes. The vulnerability exists at the foundational level of device security where cryptographic operations are expected to provide robust protection against malicious tampering and unauthorized modifications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the BSP's failure to properly validate cryptographic hashes during the boot sequence validation process. When devices initialize their boot process, they typically rely on hash verification to ensure that all firmware components have not been altered since their original deployment. The improper hash verification implementation allows attackers to potentially substitute malicious firmware components while maintaining the appearance of legitimate boot processes. This weakness directly violates the principles of cryptographic integrity verification and can be categorized under CWE-327, which addresses broken cryptographic implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication failures and represents a significant threat to device security and network infrastructure integrity. Attackers who can exploit this weakness gain the capability to compromise the boot process of Snapdragon-based networking equipment, potentially enabling persistent backdoor access, firmware manipulation, or complete device takeover. The vulnerability affects wired infrastructure components where network reliability and security are paramount, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise and industrial environments where network equipment security is critical.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1542.001 for Boot or Logon Autostart Execution and T1566.001 for Phishing - Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could leverage this weakness to establish persistent access through compromised firmware. The attack surface is particularly concerning for network infrastructure devices where the BSP operates as a critical component in maintaining secure boot chains. Organizations relying on Snapdragon-based networking equipment face potential risks including unauthorized network access, data exfiltration, and disruption of critical network services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from Qualcomm addressing the hash verification implementation in the BSP. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring measures to detect anomalous boot behavior or unauthorized firmware modifications. The security community should also consider implementing hardware security modules or additional cryptographic verification layers that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their network infrastructure to identify all affected devices and ensure proper patch management protocols are in place. The remediation process must include thorough validation of firmware integrity checks and implementation of multi-layered security approaches that reduce dependency on single cryptographic verification points.