CVE-2023-33103 in Snapdragon
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2024
Transient DOS while processing CAG info IE received from NW.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2025
This vulnerability represents a transient denial of service condition that occurs during the processing of CAG information received by an internet explorer client from a network workstation. The issue manifests when the client application encounters malformed or unexpected data structures within the CAG information payload, leading to temporary system instability or complete application failure. The transient nature of this vulnerability means that the denial of service is not persistent but rather occurs intermittently during specific processing sequences when CAG data is being handled.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the internet explorer client's processing routines for CAG information. When the client receives CAG data from network workstations, it fails to properly validate the data format or handle unexpected structures, resulting in application crashes or unresponsive states during the information processing phase. This weakness is particularly pronounced when the CAG information contains malformed fields, unexpected data types, or exceeds predefined buffer limits that the application's parsing routines cannot accommodate.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability to potentially disrupt user productivity and network operations. When internet explorer clients experience transient denial of service conditions during CAG processing, users may lose access to critical network resources or applications that depend on proper CAG information handling. The intermittent nature of the issue makes it particularly challenging for administrators to diagnose and remediate, as the problem may not occur consistently under normal operating conditions, leading to sporadic user complaints and support requests.
Security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-129 Input Validation and CWE-20 Improper Input Validation categories from the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for denial of service through resource exhaustion and potentially T1566.001 for social engineering via maliciously crafted network information. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation controls, establishing proper error handling procedures, and deploying application whitelisting or sandboxing measures to contain potential exploitation. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect unusual CAG data patterns that might trigger these transient denial of service conditions, while regular security updates and patches addressing the underlying parsing vulnerabilities remain essential defensive measures.
The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of insufficient error handling in client-side applications processing network information, where the lack of proper boundary checking and input sanitization creates exploitable conditions. Organizations should prioritize updating their internet explorer clients to versions that address these parsing deficiencies, while implementing network-based controls to filter or validate CAG information before it reaches vulnerable endpoints. Regular security assessments focusing on client-side processing routines can help identify similar weaknesses in other applications that might be susceptible to analogous transient denial of service conditions during information processing operations.