CVE-2020-11261Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed
Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets Improper Input Validation
CVE-2020-11261 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables from Qualcomm, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on December 1, 2021, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.
Patch now
Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.
What to do
- Check which version of Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Read the advisory on qualcomm.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8009 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8009w Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8017 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8037 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8053 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8064au Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Apq8096au Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Aqt1000 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Ar8031 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Ar8035 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Ar8151 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Csra6620 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Csra6640 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Csrb31024 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Fsm10055 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Fsm10056 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Mdm9650 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8909w Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8917 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8920 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8937 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8940 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8953 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Msm8996au Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 35 further products are omitted here. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 7.2 | High | NVD |
Official description
Memory corruption due to improper check to return error when user application requests memory allocation of a huge size in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
- Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Third-party and government advisories
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-11261US Government Resource
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