CVE-2020-11298 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability in Qualcomm products could allow non-secure clients to alter permissions to shared memory buffers, impacting various Snapdragon platforms.

Understanding CVE-2020-11298

This CVE involves a time-of-check time-of-use race condition in HLOS, affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon products.

What is CVE-2020-11298?

This vulnerability enables non-secure clients to modify permissions to shared memory buffers utilized by HLOS Invoke Call to the secure kernel in a range of Qualcomm Snapdragon products.

The Impact of CVE-2020-11298

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.8, indicating a high severity level with significant confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-11298

The vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism are detailed below.

Vulnerability Description

Time-of-Check Time-of-Use race condition in HLOS

Affected Systems and Versions

Products: Snapdragon Auto, Compute, Connectivity, Consumer IOT, Industrial IOT, Mobile, Voice & Music, Wired Infrastructure, and Networking
Versions: AQT1000, AR8031, AR8035, and many more

Exploitation Mechanism

Non-secure clients can manipulate permissions to shared memory buffers during callback or listener requests.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent exploitation of CVE-2020-11298 are crucial for system security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-supplied patches promptly
Monitor and restrict access to shared memory buffers
Implement secure coding practices

Long-Term Security Practices

Regular security training for developers and administrators
Conduct security assessments and code reviews
Employ least privilege principles

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for and apply security updates provided by Qualcomm