CVE-2023-21628 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE record was issued by Qualcomm and published on June 6, 2023. It involves memory corruption in WLAN HAL while processing specific commands, potentially leading to a 'Classic Buffer Overflow' vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2023-21628

This section provides insight into what CVE-2023-21628 entails, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-21628?

CVE-2023-21628 involves a memory corruption vulnerability in WLAN HAL that occurs during the processing of WMI-UTF command or FTM TLV1 command. This vulnerability could potentially be exploited by attackers to trigger a classic buffer overflow.

The Impact of CVE-2023-21628

The impact of this vulnerability is assessed as high. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.4, signifying the potential for confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts. As the attack vector is local and the privileges required are none, the severity is categorized as high.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-21628

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, including the description, affected systems, affected versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves a buffer copy operation without validating the input size, leading to potential memory corruption issues in WLAN HAL.

Affected Systems and Versions

Numerous Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms are affected by this vulnerability, including but not limited to APQ8017, APQ8064AU, APQ8076, APQ8092, AQT1000, AR8031, AR8035, and various other versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who can send specially crafted commands, such as WMI-UTF or FTM TLV1 commands, to the WLAN HAL component, causing a buffer overflow.

Mitigation and Prevention

Understanding how to mitigate and prevent CVE-2023-21628 is crucial for maintaining system security and integrity.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended to apply patches and updates provided by Qualcomm to address the vulnerability promptly. System administrators should monitor for any suspicious activities or unexpected behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing robust security practices, such as regular security audits, network segmentation, and access control mechanisms, can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly updating firmware and software components, especially those related to WLAN HAL and Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms, is essential to mitigate the risk of exploitation associated with CVE-2023-21628. Organizations should stay informed about security advisories and apply patches in a timely manner.