CVE-2026-69006 in Exynos 850
Summary
by MITRE • 11/05/2026
Insufficient validation of length fields in the GNSS firmware loader can result in kernel‑memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2026
The vulnerability identified involves an insufficient validation of length fields within the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS, firmware loading mechanism present in certain Linux kernels. This flaw resides specifically in the subsystem responsible for handling firmware requests and memory allocation for GNSS devices. When a user-space application initiates a request to load firmware into the kernel space, it provides metadata including expected data lengths. The core issue arises because the kernel code fails to rigorously verify that these length fields are within acceptable bounds before proceeding with memory operations. This lack of boundary checking creates a scenario where malicious or malformed input can trigger out-of-bounds writes or reads during the firmware loading process.
From a technical perspective, this defect is classified under CWE-120, which denotes Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input, and more specifically relates to CWE-787, an Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability. The absence of proper validation allows an attacker who has access to the device or can interact with the firmware loading interface to supply a crafted length value that exceeds the allocated buffer size. Consequently, when the kernel attempts to copy the firmware data based on this unvalidated length, it writes beyond the boundaries of the intended memory region. This results in direct corruption of adjacent kernel memory structures, potentially overwriting critical pointers, control flow data, or other sensitive information stored in contiguous memory locations.
The operational impact of such a vulnerability is severe due to its potential for privilege escalation and system instability. Since the flaw occurs within the kernel space, which operates with the highest level of privileges on an operating system, successful exploitation can allow an unprivileged local user to execute arbitrary code with root-level permissions. This effectively bypasses standard security boundaries and grants full control over the affected system. Furthermore, even without successful exploitation for remote code execution, the memory corruption can lead to kernel panics or unpredictable behavior, resulting in a denial of service condition that disrupts critical navigation services provided by the GNSS hardware.
In terms of threat modeling, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1055, specifically Process Injection via Memory Corruption techniques like DLL injection or memory manipulation, as it involves altering kernel state to gain unauthorized access. It also relates to T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution if the firmware loading is triggered by a user-facing application that can be manipulated remotely or locally. The attack vector typically requires local access to initiate the malformed request, although in environments where GNSS devices are exposed via networked interfaces with improper isolation, remote exploitation may become feasible depending on specific deployment configurations and additional security controls present in the broader system architecture.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying vendor-provided kernel patches that address this specific validation gap. System administrators should ensure that their systems are updated to versions where the GNSS firmware loader has been hardened against length field manipulation. Additionally, implementing strict access controls on devices capable of loading firmware can limit exposure by restricting who or what processes can interact with the low-level hardware interfaces. Enabling kernel hardening features such as KASLR and stack protectors may also help mitigate the impact of exploitation attempts by making it more difficult for attackers to reliably predict memory layouts, although these are defensive measures rather than fixes for the underlying code defect.