CVE-2024-48883 in 850
Summary
by MITRE • 01/13/2025
An issue was discovered in Samsung Mobile Processor, Wearable Processor, and Modem Exynos 9820, 9825, 980, 990, 850, 1080, 2100, 1280, 2200, 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, 9110, W920, W930, W1000, Modem 5123, and Modem 5300. The UE incorrectly handles a malformed uplink scheduling message, resulting in an information leak of the UE.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-48883 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Samsung's mobile processor ecosystem, affecting a wide range of Exynos chipsets including the 9820, 9825, 980, 990, 850, 1080, 2100, 1280, 2200, 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, 9110, W920, W930, and W1000 models along with specific modem variants 5123 and 5300. This vulnerability resides in the User Equipment (UE) handling mechanism for uplink scheduling messages, which are fundamental components of 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular communication protocols. The flaw manifests when the UE encounters malformed uplink scheduling messages that it cannot properly process, leading to unintended information leakage from the device's memory or processing units.
This security weakness operates at the intersection of telecommunications protocol handling and memory management within mobile baseband processors, creating a pathway for adversaries to extract sensitive information from affected devices. The vulnerability specifically targets the UE's scheduler component responsible for interpreting and executing uplink scheduling commands from network infrastructure. When processing malformed scheduling messages, the processor fails to properly validate or sanitize input data, causing memory corruption or information leakage that could expose confidential data such as cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other sensitive operational parameters. The affected processors operate at the hardware level within the mobile device's baseband subsystem, making this vulnerability particularly concerning as it bypasses traditional software security measures and operates at a fundamental protocol processing layer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential attack vectors for sophisticated adversaries who could leverage the information leak to conduct further attacks on connected devices or networks. The wide array of affected chipsets indicates this represents a systemic flaw within Samsung's processor design architecture, affecting devices across multiple generations and product lines from smartphones to wearable devices and connected IoT systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and could potentially enable techniques described in ATT&CK matrix under T1552 (Unsecured Credentials) and T1005 (Data from Local System) tactics, as attackers might extract sensitive operational data that could facilitate more advanced persistent threats. The information leak could compromise device security, potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, session hijacking, or credential theft that would affect both individual user privacy and enterprise security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate firmware updates from Samsung and network-level protections. Device manufacturers must implement comprehensive firmware patches that enhance input validation and memory protection mechanisms within the UE scheduler component. Network operators should consider implementing monitoring protocols to detect and mitigate malformed uplink scheduling messages that could exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, security teams should deploy enhanced intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's nature suggests that hardware-level protections may need to be enhanced through microcode updates or firmware modifications that implement stricter validation routines for uplink scheduling messages. Organizations should also conduct thorough risk assessments to determine which affected devices pose the highest risk and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly, particularly for enterprise devices that may handle sensitive corporate communications or data.