CVE-2023-28547 in Snapdragon
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2024
Memory corruption in SPS Application while requesting for public key in sorter TA.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28547 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the SPS Application component that specifically manifests during public key requests processed through the sorter trusted application. This flaw resides in the handling of cryptographic operations where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data when retrieving public keys from the sorter TA environment. The memory corruption occurs at the interface between the application layer and the trusted execution environment, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability impacts systems where SPS Application components interact with cryptographic services through the sorter TA, particularly in environments that rely on secure key management and cryptographic operations for authentication and data protection.
The technical root cause of this memory corruption stems from improper memory management practices during the public key retrieval process within the sorter TA context. When the SPS Application requests cryptographic keys, the system does not adequately validate the size or format of the expected data structures, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory access violations. This flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with memory safety issues in cryptographic libraries where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory layouts. The sorter TA environment, designed to handle sensitive cryptographic operations in a secure execution context, becomes compromised when the application layer fails to maintain proper data boundaries during key exchange processes.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-28547 extends beyond simple application instability to potentially enable privilege escalation and unauthorized access to cryptographic keys. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to corrupt memory structures and potentially execute arbitrary code within the trusted application environment, undermining the security guarantees provided by the sorter TA. The vulnerability affects systems where secure key management is critical, including those implementing secure boot processes, certificate management, or cryptographic authentication protocols. Organizations relying on SPS Application for secure operations may face risks of data breaches, key compromise, or complete system compromise if this vulnerability is exploited. The impact is particularly severe in environments where the sorter TA handles sensitive cryptographic material and where the SPS Application serves as the primary interface for key retrieval operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-28547 should focus on immediate patch deployment from the vendor to address the memory corruption issue in the SPS Application component. System administrators should implement input validation controls and boundary checking mechanisms to prevent malformed data from causing memory corruption during public key requests. The implementation of address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide additional protection against exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts targeting the sorter TA interface. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected components and establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation. Compliance with security standards including iso/iec 27001 and nist cybersecurity framework should be maintained to ensure proper vulnerability management and security controls are in place. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures to protect against both direct exploitation and potential lateral movement through compromised cryptographic keys.