CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-43513NVD status: Modified

Snapdragon: Out-of-bounds Write

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-43513 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Snapdragon 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. Affected Snapdragon versions: 315 5G IoT Modem; APQ8017; AQT1000, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.11% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Snapdragon you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on qualcomm.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
QualcommSnapdragon315 5G IoT Modem; APQ8017; AQT1000; AR8031; AR8035; C-V2X 9150; CSRA6620; CSRA6640; and 32 more rangesNot stated
Qualcomm315 5g IoT Modem FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommApq8017 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommAqt1000 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommAr8031 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommAr8035 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommC-v2x 9150 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommCsra6620 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommCsra6640 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommCsrb31024 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFastconnect 6200 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFastconnect 6700 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFastconnect 6800 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFastconnect 6900 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFastconnect 7800 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFlight Rb5 5g Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFsm20055 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommFsm20056 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 214 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 216 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 316 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 318 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 3210 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommImmersive Home 326 Platform FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
QualcommIpq5010 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot 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 CNA (qualcomm.com).

Official description

Memory corruption while processing the event ring, the context read pointer is untrusted to HLOS and when it is passed with arbitrary values, may point to address in the middle of ring element.

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.

More Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities (CWE-787)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Snapdragon

All Snapdragon vulnerabilities

Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities

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