CVE-2023-28551 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE involves memory corruption in UTILS when a modem processes memory specific Diag commands with arbitrary address values as input arguments.

Understanding CVE-2023-28551

This section will delve into the specifics of CVE-2023-28551, its impact, technical details, affected systems, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-28551?

The CVE-2023-28551 vulnerability relates to memory corruption in the UTILS component. When the modem processes memory-specific Diag commands with arbitrary address values as input arguments, it can lead to a memory buffer's bounds being exceeded.

The Impact of CVE-2023-28551

The impact of this vulnerability is significant, with a high CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8. It poses a high risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack complexity is low, but the attack vector is local, and the privileges required are low. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access, data manipulation, and service disruption.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-28551

Understanding the vulnerability's technical aspects can help in better mitigation and prevention strategies.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves memory corruption in the UTILS component when dealing with memory-specific Diag commands, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code or crash the system.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects various versions of the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform, including the Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, and more. Specific affected versions include 315 5G IoT Modem, 9205 LTE Modem, APQ8037, FastConnect 6800, Vision Intelligence 200 Platform, and many others.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by sending crafted Diag commands with malicious address values to the modem, triggering memory corruption and potentially leading to unauthorized access or system compromise.

Mitigation and Prevention

Taking immediate steps to address CVE-2023-28551 can help prevent exploitation and protect systems from potential security risks.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches and updates provided by Qualcomm to address the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any signs of exploitation or unauthorized access.
Implement least privilege access control to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware to address known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing to identify and remediate potential security flaws.
Educate users and IT staff about best practices for detecting and reporting security incidents.

Patching and Updates

Qualcomm has released a security bulletin addressing CVE-2023-28551. Organizations using affected Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms should promptly apply the provided patches to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.