CVE-2020-11136 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A buffer over-read vulnerability in the audio driver of various Qualcomm Snapdragon products can lead to security issues.

Understanding CVE-2020-11136

This CVE identifies a specific buffer over-read issue in the audio driver of multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon products.

What is CVE-2020-11136?

The vulnerability arises due to improper memory management in the audio driver, specifically related to malloc function usage.

The Impact of CVE-2020-11136

The buffer over-read issue can potentially be exploited by attackers to gain sensitive information or disrupt system functionality.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-11136

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability occurs in the audio driver due to the failure to return NULL for zero-sized memory requirements.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: Qualcomm, Inc.
Products: Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, and more (refer to JSON for full list)
Versions: Multiple versions across various Snapdragon products are affected (refer to JSON for full list)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors to read sensitive data beyond the allocated buffer size, potentially leading to a security breach.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-11136 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches or updates provided by Qualcomm to address the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual system behavior that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update system software and firmware to ensure the latest security patches are in place.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security bulletins and updates from Qualcomm to promptly address any new vulnerabilities.