CVE-2019-14041 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A buffer overflow vulnerability affecting various Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

Understanding CVE-2019-14041

What is CVE-2019-14041?

This vulnerability occurs during the processing of modified listener responses, leading to a buffer overflow due to inadequate buffer size verification when updating the message buffer with physical address information.

The Impact of CVE-2019-14041

The vulnerability affects a wide range of Snapdragon processors used in different Qualcomm products, including Snapdragon Auto, Compute, Consumer IOT, Industrial IOT, IoT, Mobile, Voice & Music, and Wearables.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-14041

Vulnerability Description

The buffer overflow vulnerability arises from the lack of proper buffer size verification during the update process with physical address information.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected processors: APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9206, MDM9207C, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8905, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, Nicobar, QCM2150, QCS405, QCS605, QM215, Rennell, SA6155P, Saipan, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM429W, SDM439, SDM450, SDM632, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SM8250, SXR1130, SXR2130.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or crash the affected systems.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

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

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and firmware to the latest versions.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches released by Qualcomm to mitigate the vulnerability.