CVE-2023-28560 in APQ8076
Summary
by MITRE • 09/05/2023
Memory corruption in WLAN HAL while processing devIndex from untrusted WMI payload.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption issue within the Wireless Local Area Network Hardware Abstraction Layer that occurs when processing device index values from untrusted WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) payloads. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of the devIndex parameter, which is typically sourced from external WMI communications that can be manipulated by malicious actors. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking and memory allocation practices within the WLAN HAL component, creating potential pathways for arbitrary code execution or system instability. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The operational impact of this memory corruption vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can enable privilege escalation attacks and persistent backdoor access within wireless network management frameworks. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can manipulate the device index values to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability manifests when legitimate WMI commands containing malicious devIndex values are processed by the WLAN HAL, where the system fails to validate the index range or perform proper memory boundary checks before using the value in subsequent operations. This flaw particularly affects enterprise wireless infrastructure and mobile devices that rely on WMI for network configuration and management, creating a significant attack surface for adversaries seeking to exploit wireless network communications. The vulnerability's exploitation requires the attacker to have access to WMI communication channels or the ability to inject malicious WMI payloads into the network management infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous in environments where WMI services are exposed to untrusted networks. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The memory corruption can be triggered through various WMI classes related to wireless network configuration, making it challenging to detect and mitigate without comprehensive monitoring of WMI traffic patterns. The impact on system stability and security is severe, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent access to wireless network resources. Organizations should implement strict WMI access controls, monitor for anomalous devIndex values in WMI communications, and ensure proper input validation is enforced within the WLAN HAL components. Additionally, regular security updates and patches should be applied to address known vulnerabilities in WMI and WLAN HAL implementations, as the underlying flaw often resides in legacy code that may not have adequate modern security controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in system components that handle external data, particularly in network management interfaces where untrusted data flows through critical system components.