CVE-2024-49846 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 05/06/2025
Memory corruption while decoding of OTA messages from T3448 IE.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2025
This vulnerability involves memory corruption occurring during the decoding process of Over-The-Air (OTA) messages specifically related to the T3448 Information Element. The issue manifests when the system attempts to parse and interpret mobile network signaling messages that contain this particular information element, leading to potential buffer overflow or heap corruption conditions. The T3448 IE is part of the GSM mobility management protocol used for various network operations including location updates and handover procedures. When malformed or excessively large data structures are encountered during decoding, the application fails to properly validate input boundaries, resulting in memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow and represents a critical security risk in mobile network infrastructure components such as mobile switching centers, base station controllers, and other signaling system functions.
The operational impact of this memory corruption vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable sophisticated attacks against cellular networks. Attackers could craft malicious OTA messages containing specially constructed T3448 IE data that triggers the buffer overflow condition when processed by network equipment. This exploitation scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and control through mobile applications, where compromised network infrastructure could be used to deliver malicious payloads or establish unauthorized communication channels. The vulnerability affects systems implementing the GSM protocol stack and could compromise the integrity of core network signaling functions, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate call routing, intercept communications, or cause widespread service outages across affected network segments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation controls within the OTA message processing pipeline, particularly focusing on boundary checking for all information element fields including T3448. Network operators should deploy firmware updates that include proper bounds checking and memory allocation safeguards to prevent buffer overflows during decoding operations. The implementation of defensive programming practices such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap integrity checks provides additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of signaling system components should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other information elements or protocol implementations, as the underlying issue often stems from insufficient validation of variable-length data structures common in telecommunication protocols. Compliance with industry standards such as 3GPP specifications for secure message handling and adherence to secure coding practices recommended by organizations like NIST and ISO/IEC 27001 ensures robust protection against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities across the entire mobile network infrastructure.