CVE-2018-11971 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Snapdragon products by Qualcomm are affected by an interruption in the exit code flow, potentially compromising access control policies and leading to unauthorized disclosure of secure assets.

Understanding CVE-2018-11971

What is CVE-2018-11971?

The CVE-2018-11971 vulnerability involves an interruption in the exit code flow that could undermine access control policies in various Snapdragon products, potentially resulting in the unauthorized disclosure of secure assets.

The Impact of CVE-2018-11971

The interruption of the exit code flow in Snapdragon products may compromise the access control policy, leading to the unauthorized disclosure of secure assets.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-11971

Vulnerability Description

The interruption of the exit code flow has the potential to compromise the access control policy implemented in various Snapdragon products, including Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IoT, Snapdragon Industrial IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MDM9655, QCS605, SD 410/12, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 636, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, and SXR1130. Such compromise may result in the unauthorized disclosure of secure assets.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Products: Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IoT, Snapdragon Industrial IoT, Snapdragon Mobile
Affected Versions: MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MDM9655, QCS605, SD 410/12, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 636, SD 712 / SD 710 / SD 670, SD 845 / SD 850, SD 8CX, SDA660, SDM630, SDM660, SXR1130

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability involves interrupting the exit code flow, which can potentially compromise the access control policy set forth by the secure world, leading to the leakage of secure assets.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by Qualcomm to address the vulnerability.
Monitor Qualcomm's security bulletins for updates and recommendations.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Snapdragon products with the latest security patches.
Implement access control measures to prevent unauthorized disclosure of secure assets.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Qualcomm.
Ensure timely installation of patches to mitigate the CVE-2018-11971 vulnerability.