CVE-2022-33231

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-33231?

CVE-2022-33231 has a CVSS score of 9.3 (CRITICAL). CVE-2022-33231 is a double-free memory corruption vulnerability in Qualcomm chipsets that occurs during encryption key initialization. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. This affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT equipment.

9.3 CRITICAL

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2022-33231 is a double-free memory corruption vulnerability in Qualcomm chipsets that occurs during encryption key initialization. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. This affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT equipment.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables

Versions: Multiple chipset versions - see Qualcomm advisory for specific affected chipsets

Operating Systems: Android, Linux-based systems using affected Qualcomm chipsets

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects the core firmware/trustzone component, not specific applications. All devices with vulnerable chipsets are affected regardless of OS configuration.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution with kernel privileges leading to complete device compromise, data theft, and persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Device crash/reboot (denial of service) or limited code execution in kernel context, potentially enabling privilege escalation.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper memory protection mechanisms (ASLR, DEP), exploitation becomes unreliable, likely resulting only in crashes.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires specific conditions for remote exploitation, but affected devices often have internet connectivity.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local exploitation possible if attacker gains initial access, but requires specific memory manipulation.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation requires precise memory manipulation and understanding of Qualcomm's encryption key management. No public exploits available as of knowledge cutoff.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Varies by chipset - refer to Qualcomm's April 2023 security bulletin for specific chipset fixes

Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/april-2023-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 vulnerable encryption features

all

Disable hardware encryption features that trigger the vulnerable code path (if possible without breaking functionality)

Feature-specific - consult device documentation

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate affected devices from untrusted networks
Implement strict access controls and monitoring for devices with vulnerable chipsets

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check chipset version against Qualcomm's affected list. Use device-specific commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' or manufacturer diagnostic tools.

Check Version:

Device-specific - typically manufacturer diagnostic commands or Android: 'getprop ro.bootloader' for bootloader version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version has been updated to post-April 2023 patches. Check with manufacturer update tools or security scanning utilities.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic logs
Trustzone/secure world crash reports
Memory corruption error messages in system logs

Network Indicators:

Unusual encryption-related network traffic patterns
Unexpected device reboots

SIEM Query:

Example: (event_category="kernel_panic" OR event_category="memory_corruption") AND device_vendor="Qualcomm"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-33231

CVSS v3 Score: 9.3 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-415

Published: April 13, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/april-2023-bulletin Vendor Advisory
https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/april-2023-bulletin Vendor Advisory

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

315 5g Iot Modem Firmware by Qualcomm

8098 Firmware by Qualcomm

8909 Firmware by Qualcomm

8998 Firmware by Qualcomm

Apq8009 Firmware by Qualcomm

Aqt1000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ar8031 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ar8035 Firmware by Qualcomm

C V2x 9150 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6620 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6640 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csrb31024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fsm10056 Firmware by Qualcomm

Home Hub 100 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq9008 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq9574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Mdm9205 Firmware by Qualcomm

Msm8108 Firmware by Qualcomm

Msm8209 Firmware by Qualcomm

Msm8608 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8295p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca4004 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6174a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6310 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6320 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6335 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6390 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6420 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6421 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6426 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6431 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6436 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6696 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6698aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8081 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8082 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8084 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8085 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8337 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8386 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9377 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9379 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9984 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn7606 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9011 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9012 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9074 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9274 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs410 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs603 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs605 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs610 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs8155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qrb5165 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qrb5165m Firmware by Qualcomm

Qrb5165n Firmware by Qualcomm

Qsm8250 Firmware by Qualcomm