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Showing posts with label Qualcomm. Show all posts
Vulnerabilities and Exploits
Cyberattacks CyberCrime Cyberhackers CyberThreat Cyersecurity Qualcomm Vulnerabilities and Exploits

Qualcomm Identifies and Patches Critical Security Issues in Latest Update

 


Several vulnerabilities were identified in Qualcomm's latest security update for March 2025 that impacted many products, including automotive systems, mobile chipsets, and networking devices. There are several critical security issues in this security bulletin, including memory corruption risks and input validation flaws that could pose a significant security risk if exploited to compromise the system. 

The Qualcomm Security Updates are intended to improve the security of Qualcomm's technology ecosystem as well as strengthen its protection against possible cyber threats. There had been multiple security vulnerabilities identified and resolved by Qualcomm and MediaTek over the last few weeks, some of which had already been addressed by their respective Android updates, which were deployed in the previous weeks. 

Qualcomm released the March 2025 Security Bulletin, which outlined 14 vulnerabilities, all of which were addressed via upstream updates to its proprietary software, highlighting the serious potential risks associated with these security vulnerabilities. These security flaws are most of the time classified as critical or high severity, highlighting the seriousness of the threat they pose to users. Several of the vulnerabilities identified by Qualcomm include memory corruption, affecting Qualcomm's automotive software platform based on the QNX operating system.

Qualcomm has also released patches to resolve five high-severity vulnerabilities, which could result in information disclosures, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and memory corruption as a result. Furthermore, two moderate-severity flaws have been addressed as part of the latest security updates launched by the semiconductor manufacturer. 

The semiconductor manufacturer has also resolved seven high-severity defects and six medium-severe defects within open-source components launched by the manufacturer. As a result of these security patches, Qualcomm emphasized that OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are being actively notified of the updates and urged them to implement the fixes on deployed devices as soon as possible. 

It is noteworthy that Google's March 2025 Android security update addressed three of the identified vulnerabilities: CVE-2024-43051, CVE-2025-53011, and CVE-2024-53025. It has been revealed that MediaTek has discovered ten security vulnerabilities that impact multiple chipsets. As part of the release of the company's fixes, three high-severity issues have been found, including a memory corruption flaw in modems, which can lead to DoS attacks, as well as an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in KeyInstall and WLAN, which can lead to escalation of privileges. 

This security bulletin from Qualcomm not only addresses vulnerabilities identified in proprietary software, but also vulnerabilities in open-source components that Qualcomm's products are integrated with. There are several security flaws affecting Android operating systems, camera drivers, and multimedia frameworks, among others. Qualcomm intends to mitigate the potential risks of these vulnerabilities by informing its customers and partners and strongly urging that patches be deployed as soon as possible to mitigate these risks. 

Users of Qualcomm-powered devices should check with their device manufacturers to learn about the availability of security updates and patches for those devices. During the last few months, Qualcomm has released a series of security updates demonstrating its commitment to increasing cybersecurity across all its product lines. By addressing critical vulnerabilities and working closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to facilitate timely patch deployments, the company aims to decrease security risks and enhance the integrity of its systems. 

As the threat of cyber-attacks continues to evolve, maintaining robust security measures through regular updates is imperative. According to Qualcomm, their users are encouraged to stay informed about security developments and to ensure they get the latest patches installed on their devices to prevent any possible exploitation of the vulnerabilities. In addition, organizations that are utilizing Snapdragon-powered systems are also encouraged to make sure that these updates are implemented promptly as a means of ensuring that their technology infrastructure is secure and reliable.
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Zero Day
Amnesty International Android Google Qualcomm Vulnerabilities and Exploits Zero Day

Millions of Android Devices at Risk, New Chip Bug Exploited in Targeted Attacks

 



Overview of the Exploit

Hackers recently leveraged a serious security weakness, said to be a "zero-day," that exists within the Qualcomm chipsets used in many popular Android devices. Qualcomm confirmed that at the time they were first exploited by hackers, they were unaware of the bug, which was tracked under CVE-2024-43047. This flaw actually existed in real-world cyberattacks where it could have impacted millions of Android users globally.

Vulnerability Details

This zero-day flaw was uncovered in 64 different Qualcomm chipsets, including the highly sought-after flagship Snapdragon 8 (Gen 1), a chipset used by many Android devices from reputable brands such as Motorola, Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. In their advisory, Qualcomm states that attackers have been able to exploit the flaw, but the company does not elaborate on who the attackers are or what their motive might be or who they specifically targeted. In light of both Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) and the Amnesty International Security Lab investigating the incidents, Qualcomm believes these instances constitute "limited, targeted exploitation," rather than widespread attacks.

Response to Attack

The vulnerability was apparently noticed by the CISA US, who have listed it on their known exploited vulnerabilities list. Qualcomm has issued appreciation to Google Project Zero and Amnesty International's Security Lab for coordinated disclosure of this vulnerability. Through such coordination, Qualcomm has been able to develop its fixes starting from September 2024 that it has since issued to customers, which includes Android device manufacturers operating its own chipsets.

Patch Distribution and User Security

So far, patch development is the task of Android device manufacturers. As Qualcomm has publicly released the fix, users need to ensure that their devices are up to date with respect to security patches from their device manufacturer.

Investigation Continues

The broader investigation into the hack is still going on with Google and Amnesty International digging deeper into the details of the targeted attack. Google TAG didn't have anything further to say, but an Amnesty spokesperson confirmed that it would soon publish more research findings on this vulnerability.

The necessity for security research and collaboration from technology entities and organisations to prevent new threats from happening is highlighted in this case. Android users of devices that use Qualcomm should thus remain vigilant and roll out whichever system updates for now.


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Vulnerability and Exploits
Android Security CVE vulnerability EOL Google Pixel Phones Kernel Qualcomm Vulnerability and Exploits

Google: Two Major Pixel Vulnerabilities Patched

 

Google has published updates for Android 10, 11, 12, and 12L which include Pixel security patches. The Android Security Bulletin for May offers information about security flaws could affect Android devices. 
 
The Pixel Update Bulletin offers information about security flaws and functional enhancements for concerned Pixel devices. Google Pixel phones are "pure Android" devices. The two bulletins identify significant vulnerabilities as follows : 

  • CVE-2022-20120—Bootloader [Critical] The bootloader has a remote code execution (RCE) flaw. The bootloader on Android is a software program that loads the operating system every time users turn on the phone. It can only load software which has been signed by Google by default. If users unlock the bootloader, though, it will run whatever software you specify. The precise problem hasn't been revealed yet, but based on the scale of access required to exploit it, it may be very serious.
  • CVE-2022-20117— Titan-M[Critical] Titan M has an information disclosure (ID) flaw. Titan M is a security management chip designed specifically for Pixel phones to protect the most sensitive data and os version on the device. Titan M aids the bootloader in ensuring users running the correct Android version. . However, being able to steal data from the portion which is supposed to protect the most sensitive information does not look well. 
  • CVE-2021-35090: Qualcomm[Moderate] Qualcomm chips are the most extensively used in Android smartphones. 9.3 out of 10 for CVSS. Qualcomm has recognized this race condition in Kernel as a Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOC TOU). A potential hypervisor memory corruption owing to a TOC TOU race scenario when changing address mappings was also mentioned. A TOC TOU occurs whenever a resource is tested for a specific value, such as whether or not a file exists, and then the value alters before the asset is utilized, invalidating the check's results. When multiple threads have access to shared data and attempt to update it at the same time, a race condition occurs.
  • CVE-2022-20119 Display/Graphics[High] 
  • CVE-2022-20121 USCCDMService[High] 

The most serious of these issues, according to Google, is a highly secure vulnerability in the Framework component which might lead to local elevation of privilege (EoP) with user execution rights required, although the company does not specify which of the four candidates it is. 

All problems in these bulletins are addressed in security patch versions 2022-05-05 or later for Google and other Android devices. Check and update one Android version to discover how to check a device's security patch level. Experts advise all Android users to update to the most recent version. 

This week, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL series will acquire its final security updates. When it comes to support, they then reach the End-of-Life (EOL)
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Vulnerability
40% Android Qualcomm Technology Vulnerability

40% of all Android Phones Affected by Qualcomm Snapdragon Vulnerability

 

Security scientists who believe that a weakness that can be used to insert malicious code mostly on mobile by using the Android operating system itself as a port of entry has recently been reported as a grave security flaw concerning Qualcomm mobile station modems (MSM). The impacted chip(s) would connect nearly 40% of all smartphones, such as Samsung and other OEM's high-end phones, in the world. 

Qualcomm MSM is a 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G-capable Chip System (SoC) used by several vendors, such as Samsung, Google, LG, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, for approximately 40 percent of cell phones. 

"If exploited, the vulnerability would have allowed an attacker to use Android OS itself as an entry point to inject malicious and invisible code into phones," as per the Check Point researchers who found the vulnerability tracked as CVE-2020-11292. 

The security vulnerability can also allow attackers to activate the SIM module used to safely store the network authentication information and contact details on mobile devices. 

The criminals have to misuse a stack overflow vulnerability in the Qualcomm MSM Interface (QMI), which is being used by the cellular processors for interface with the software stack, to exploit CVE-2020-11292 and monitor the modem and remotely repair it from the application processor.

Malicious apps could then use the loophole to mask their activities from the modem chip on its own and effectively invisibly track malicious behavior using Android security features. 

"Going forward, our research can hopefully open the door for other security researchers to assist Qualcomm and other vendors to create better and more secure chips, helping us foster better online protection and security for everyone." 

Following the study, Qualcomm produced security patches to resolve the security problem CVE-2020-11292 and delivered them to all affected vendors in December 2020, two months later. Qualcomm's priorities are the availability of solutions supporting comprehensive safety and privacy. While in December 2020, Qualcomm Technologies provided OEMs with updates and they encourage end-users to upgrade their devices when patches are available. 

As Qualcomm sent the CVE-2020-11292 patches to OEMs last year, it ought to be safe against efforts to jeopardize any modernized devices for Android users with newer devices often receiving security and system updates. Unfortunately, it might not be that lucky for all those who didn't upgrade to a new smartphone promoting newer Android launches over the last few years. 

Given the reality, about 19% of all Android devices run Android Pie 9.0 (launched in August 2018) and over 9% Android 8.1 Oreo (launched in December 2017) as per the Stat Counter data. 

Last year Qualcomm rectified the Digital Signal Processor Chip (DSP), which allows attackers to monitor smartphones, spy on the users, and build immovable malware which can avoid detection, with much more vulnerabilities that could impact Snapdragon. 

KrØØk was also repaired by Qualcomm in July 2020, a security bug that can be used to decipher certain WPA 2 encrypted wireless network packets. In 2019, yet another bug was fixed which enabled access to sensitive data and two faults in the SoC WLAN firmware that permitted over the air compromise of the modem and kernel.
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