CVE-2023-28544

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-28544?

CVE-2023-28544 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows memory corruption in Qualcomm WLAN firmware when sending transmit commands from the host operating system to UTF handlers. Attackers could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service on affected devices. This affects devices with Qualcomm WLAN chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT products.

7.8 HIGH

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows memory corruption in Qualcomm WLAN firmware when sending transmit commands from the host operating system to UTF handlers. Attackers could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service on affected devices. This affects devices with Qualcomm WLAN chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT products.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm WLAN chipsets and associated firmware

Versions: Specific affected versions not publicly detailed in bulletin

Operating Systems: Android, Linux-based systems with Qualcomm WLAN

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm WLAN firmware versions. Exact product list requires checking Qualcomm's September 2023 bulletin.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Device crash or denial of service requiring reboot, potentially disrupting wireless connectivity.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper network segmentation and device hardening, possibly just service disruption.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires sending crafted WLAN transmit commands to trigger memory corruption. No public exploit code available as of knowledge cutoff.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm September 2023 security bulletin for specific patched versions

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check Qualcomm September 2023 bulletin for affected chipset versions. 2. Contact device manufacturer for firmware updates. 3. Apply firmware patches provided by OEM. 4. Reboot device after update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable WLAN if not needed

all

Temporarily disable wireless functionality to prevent exploitation

# Android/Linux: ip link set wlan0 down
# Windows: netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable

Network segmentation

all

Isolate affected devices on separate network segments

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict network access controls to limit WLAN exposure
Monitor for unusual WLAN traffic patterns and device crashes

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against Qualcomm's September 2023 security bulletin. Use device-specific commands to check WLAN chipset firmware version.

Check Version:

Device-specific: # Android: getprop ro.boot.wlan.fw.version or check in device settings

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version has been updated to a version listed as patched in Qualcomm's bulletin.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected device reboots
WLAN driver crashes
Kernel panic logs related to WLAN

Network Indicators:

Unusual WLAN protocol anomalies
Malformed WLAN frames targeting vulnerable chipsets

SIEM Query:

Device logs: (event_category="crash" OR event_category="reboot") AND (process="wlan" OR component="wireless")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-28544

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-120

Published: September 5, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

Aqt1000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ar9380 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csr8811 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6620 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csra6640 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6200 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6700 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6900 Firmware by Qualcomm

Immersive Home 214 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Immersive Home 216 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Immersive Home 316 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Immersive Home 318 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq4018 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq4019 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq4028 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq4029 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq5010 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq5028 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6010 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6018 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6028 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8064 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8065 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8068 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8069 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8070 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8070a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8071 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8071a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8072 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8072a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8074 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8074a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8076 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8076a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8078 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8078a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8173 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8174 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca4024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6310 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6320 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6335 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6420 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6428 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6438 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6554a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6584au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6696 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca7500 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8075 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8081 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9880 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9886 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9888 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9889 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9898 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9980 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9984 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9985 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9986 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9987 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9990 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9992 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9994 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm2290 Firmware by Qualcomm