Snapdragon: Use After Free
CVE-2024-43061 is a high-severity use after free 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: FastConnect 6900; FastConnect 7800; QAM8295P, 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 0.12% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Snapdragon you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on docs.qualcomm.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | Snapdragon | FastConnect 6900; FastConnect 7800; QAM8295P; QCA6574AU; QCA6696; QCA9367; QCA9377; QCS8550; and 22 more ranges | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Fastconnect 6900 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Fastconnect 7800 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qam8295p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qca6574au Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qca6696 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qca9367 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qca9377 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Qcs8550 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa6145p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa6150p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa6155p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8145p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8150p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8155p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8195p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8295p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8530p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa8540p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sa9000p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sdm429w Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Snapdragon 429 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sxr2230p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Sxr2250p Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Qualcomm | Wcd9380 Firmware | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 6 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 during voice activation, when sound model parameters are loaded from HLOS, and the received sound model list is empty in HLOS drive.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Snapdragon
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 9.0 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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