CVE-2018-14853 : Security Advisory and Response

A flaw in the bcmdhd4358 Wi-Fi driver on the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920F G920FXXU5EQH7 allows an attacker to force a device restart by exploiting a vulnerability in the dhd_prot_txdata_write_flush function.

Understanding CVE-2018-14853

This CVE entry describes a vulnerability in the bcmdhd4358 Wi-Fi driver affecting the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920F G920FXXU5EQH7.

What is CVE-2018-14853?

The vulnerability, identified as SVE-2018-11783, enables an attacker with code execution on the Wi-Fi chip to trigger a device restart.

The Impact of CVE-2018-14853

Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to force a device restart, potentially leading to denial of service or other security implications.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-14853

This section provides technical details of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

A NULL pointer dereference in the dhd_prot_txdata_write_flush function in the bcmdhd4358 Wi-Fi driver on the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920F G920FXXU5EQH7 allows an attacker to cause the device to reboot.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions: Not applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker needs to have gained code execution on the Wi-Fi chip to exploit this vulnerability and force the device to restart.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-14853 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by the vendor promptly.
Monitor for any unusual device behavior that might indicate an exploit attempt.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update firmware and software to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address weaknesses.
Educate users on safe Wi-Fi usage practices to prevent unauthorized access.
Consider implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems to detect and block malicious activities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the latest security patches and updates are applied to the affected devices to mitigate the risk of exploitation.