CVE-2020-11126
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to read memory beyond intended boundaries while parsing WLAN frames in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. It affects numerous Snapdragon product lines including Auto, Mobile, Compute, and IoT devices. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure or system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Snapdragon Auto
- Snapdragon Compute
- Snapdragon Connectivity
- Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity
- Snapdragon Consumer IOT
- Snapdragon Industrial IOT
- Snapdragon Mobile
- Snapdragon Voice & Music
- Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
📦 What is this software?
Sd7c Firmware by Qualcomm
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Information disclosure through memory reads, potential denial of service, or limited code execution.
If Mitigated
Memory corruption detected and process terminated, causing denial of service but preventing full compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted WLAN frames. No public exploit code available as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Varies by device manufacturer - check device-specific security updates
Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/january-2021-bulletin
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check with device manufacturer for security updates. 2. Apply firmware/OS updates from official sources. 3. Reboot device after update. 4. Verify patch installation through version checks.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WLAN when not needed
allTurn off wireless connectivity to prevent exploitation attempts
# Android: adb shell svc wifi disable
# Linux: sudo nmcli radio wifi off
Network segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable devices on separate network segments
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit WLAN exposure
- Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device firmware version against manufacturer's security bulletins. Use 'getprop ro.build.fingerprint' on Android or check /proc/version on Linux systems.Check Version:
# Android: adb shell getprop | grep version
# Linux: uname -a && cat /proc/versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to a patched release. Check security patch level (Android: Settings > About phone > Android security patch level).📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- WLAN driver crash reports
- Memory corruption warnings in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Malformed WLAN frames
- Unusual WLAN protocol anomalies
- Suspicious wireless traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="*kernel*" AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "segfault") AND ("wlan" OR "wireless" OR "802.11")