CVE-2021-35112
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows a user with standard permissions to access protected graphics memory regions due to improper access control in register configuration on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. It affects multiple Snapdragon product lines including Auto, Compute, Mobile, and Wearables. Attackers could potentially read or modify sensitive graphics data.
💻 Affected Systems
- Snapdragon Auto
- Snapdragon Compute
- Snapdragon Connectivity
- Snapdragon Consumer IOT
- Snapdragon Industrial IOT
- Snapdragon Mobile
- Snapdragon Voice & Music
- Snapdragon Wearables
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could exfiltrate sensitive graphics data (including potentially protected content like DRM-protected media), modify graphics rendering to bypass security controls, or cause system instability/crashes.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of graphics memory contents, potentially exposing sensitive application data or protected content.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper privilege separation and memory protection mechanisms in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user-level access to execute malicious code; exploitation involves manipulating graphics register configurations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Firmware/driver updates released in April 2022 security bulletins
Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/april-2022-bulletin
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check with device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply Qualcomm-provided patches through OEM update channels. 3. Reboot device after update installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict user privileges
allLimit user accounts to minimal necessary privileges to reduce attack surface
Application sandboxing
linuxUse containerization or sandboxing to isolate applications from accessing protected memory regions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for unusual graphics memory access patterns
- Isolate affected devices from sensitive networks and implement network segmentation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device chipset model and firmware version against Qualcomm's April 2022 security bulletinCheck Version:
On Android: 'getprop ro.bootloader' or check Settings > About Phone > Build NumberVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to post-April 2022 patches from device manufacturer📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual graphics driver errors
- Access violations in graphics memory regions
- Privilege escalation attempts
Network Indicators:
- Not network-exploitable; local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for graphics driver access violations or privilege escalation events in system logs