CVE-2020-11276
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a buffer over-read in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets that occurs when processing Wi-Fi P2P (Peer-to-Peer) information elements and NOA (Notice of Absence) attributes in beacon and probe response frames. Attackers within Wi-Fi range could exploit this to read adjacent memory, potentially exposing sensitive information or causing denial of service. It affects numerous Snapdragon platforms across automotive, mobile, IoT, and networking devices.
💻 Affected Systems
- Snapdragon Auto
- Snapdragon Compute
- Snapdragon Connectivity
- Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity
- Snapdragon Consumer IOT
- Snapdragon Industrial IOT
- Snapdragon IoT
- Snapdragon Mobile
- Snapdragon Voice & Music
- Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking
📦 What is this software?
Sd7c Firmware by Qualcomm
Sd8c Firmware by Qualcomm
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation on affected devices.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of adjacent memory contents, potentially exposing sensitive data like encryption keys or credentials, or denial of service through device crashes.
If Mitigated
Limited information disclosure with no critical data exposure if memory isolation is effective, or temporary service disruption.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires Wi-Fi proximity and knowledge of vulnerable devices. No public exploit code available as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm February 2021 security bulletin for specific chipset firmware updates
Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/february-2021-bulletin
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply Qualcomm-provided firmware patches. 3. Reboot device. 4. Verify patch installation through version checks.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Wi-Fi P2P functionality
allTurn off Wi-Fi Direct/P2P features to prevent processing of vulnerable frames
# Android: Settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Direct > Turn off
# Linux: sudo iw dev wlan0 set type managed
Network segmentation and access control
allRestrict Wi-Fi network access to trusted devices only
# Configure WPA2/WPA3 with strong authentication
# Implement MAC address filtering if available
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices on separate network segments with strict firewall rules
- Disable Wi-Fi entirely and use wired connections where possible
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device chipset model and firmware version against Qualcomm's advisory. Use commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on Linux or check device specifications.Check Version:
# Linux: dmesg | grep -i qualcomm
# Android: Settings > About Phone > Kernel versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to post-February 2021 patches. Check with device manufacturer update logs.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic or crash logs related to Wi-Fi drivers
- Unexpected memory access errors in system logs
- Wi-Fi interface resets or disconnections
Network Indicators:
- Unusual Wi-Fi P2P traffic patterns
- Malformed beacon/probe response frames
- Excessive retransmissions on Wi-Fi channels
SIEM Query:
source="*kernel*" AND ("panic" OR "oops") AND ("wifi" OR "wlan" OR "qualcomm")