CVE-2018-11821 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2018-11821 was published on October 26, 2018, by Qualcomm, Inc. The vulnerability affects Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear devices due to a potential risk of integer overflow during memory allocation.

Understanding CVE-2018-11821

This CVE identifies a specific vulnerability in WLAN memory allocation in various Qualcomm Snapdragon devices.

What is CVE-2018-11821?

The CVE-2018-11821 vulnerability involves the possibility of an integer overflow occurring in WLAN memory allocation in Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear devices. The affected versions include IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, SDA660, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM710, and Snapdragon_High_Med_2016.

The Impact of CVE-2018-11821

The vulnerability poses a risk of integer overflow in WLAN memory allocation, potentially leading to security breaches and system compromise in affected Qualcomm Snapdragon devices.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-11821

Qualcomm has provided detailed technical information regarding this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves an integer overflow or wraparound in WLAN memory allocation, which could be exploited by malicious actors.

Affected Systems and Versions

The following Qualcomm Snapdragon devices are affected by CVE-2018-11821:

Snapdragon Mobile
Snapdragon Wear
Versions: IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, SDA660, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM710, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by triggering an integer overflow during WLAN memory allocation, potentially leading to unauthorized access or system compromise.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2018-11821.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches and updates provided by Qualcomm to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update firmware and software on Qualcomm Snapdragon devices to ensure protection against known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential security breaches.

Patching and Updates

Qualcomm has released patches and updates to address CVE-2018-11821. It is recommended to promptly apply these updates to secure the affected devices.