CVE-2024-21476 in Snapdragon
Summary
by MITRE • 05/06/2024
Memory corruption when the channel ID passed by user is not validated and further used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption issue that occurs when a system fails to properly validate channel identifiers provided by users before processing them. The flaw exists in the input validation mechanisms of network communication protocols or applications that handle channel-based data transmission. When user-supplied channel IDs are accepted without proper sanitization or verification, malicious actors can exploit this weakness to manipulate memory structures and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and validation routines that should ensure channel identifiers conform to expected formats and ranges. This type of flaw commonly manifests in systems that manage multiple communication channels, such as network protocols, messaging systems, or distributed application frameworks where channel identification is crucial for proper data routing and processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of unchecked user input within memory management operations. When a channel ID is passed to system functions without validation, the application may perform operations that write beyond allocated memory boundaries or corrupt adjacent memory structures. This can occur through buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors that arise from trusting unvalidated input. The lack of proper validation means that malformed or malicious channel identifiers can cause unpredictable behavior in the application's memory layout. Attackers can craft specific channel ID values that, when processed, trigger memory corruption conditions leading to system instability, privilege escalation, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129 Input Validation and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write categories, representing a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption to potentially enable sophisticated attack vectors within networked environments. Systems utilizing affected protocols may experience denial of service conditions, unauthorized access to sensitive data, or complete system takeover depending on the implementation details and privilege levels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where multiple users or external parties can submit channel identifiers, as it creates an accessible entry point for attackers. Network monitoring systems may not immediately detect exploitation attempts since the corruption may appear as normal application behavior until memory corruption leads to system crashes or unexpected operations. The attack surface includes scenarios where channel IDs are used for routing decisions, resource allocation, or access control mechanisms, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise network infrastructure and cloud computing environments. Organizations using affected systems may face regulatory compliance issues and security audit failures due to the presence of unvalidated input handling.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all user-supplied channel identifiers. System administrators should implement strict validation routines that verify channel ID formats, ranges, and acceptable values before processing any user input. The implementation should include bounds checking, length validation, and format verification to ensure that channel identifiers meet predetermined criteria. Additionally, memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention should be enabled to reduce exploitation success rates. Regular security updates and patches should be deployed immediately upon availability from vendors, as the vulnerability represents a high-risk issue requiring prompt remediation. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous channel ID usage patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation. The implementation of secure coding practices and regular code reviews focusing on input validation and memory management operations will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future development cycles. Organizations should also consider implementing automated testing procedures that specifically target input validation scenarios to identify potential weaknesses before deployment.