CVE-2023-33041

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33041?

CVE-2023-33041 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability in Qualcomm WLAN firmware allows attackers to cause denial of service through a firmware crash when specific wireless network conditions trigger state confusion. It affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm wireless chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT equipment. The vulnerability requires proximity to the target device to exploit via wireless communication.

7.5 HIGH

Denial of Service

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Qualcomm WLAN firmware allows attackers to cause denial of service through a firmware crash when specific wireless network conditions trigger state confusion. It affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm wireless chipsets, primarily mobile devices and IoT equipment. The vulnerability requires proximity to the target device to exploit via wireless communication.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm WLAN chipsets
Devices using affected Qualcomm wireless components

Versions: Specific firmware versions as listed in Qualcomm December 2023 bulletin

Operating Systems: Android, Linux-based IoT systems, Embedded systems with Qualcomm wireless

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm WLAN firmware; exact device models depend on manufacturer implementation.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete wireless functionality disruption requiring device reboot, potentially enabling further exploitation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary wireless connectivity loss until firmware restarts, causing service disruption for affected devices.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated firmware preventing exploitation.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires proximity wireless access, not directly exploitable over internet.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers with wireless access could disrupt critical wireless-dependent systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires wireless proximity and specific network conditions to trigger the state confusion.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Firmware updates specified in Qualcomm December 2023 security bulletin

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply Qualcomm-provided firmware patches. 3. Reboot device to load updated firmware.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable wireless features

all

Turn off advanced wireless features that may trigger the state confusion

Network segmentation

all

Isolate wireless networks from critical systems

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict wireless access controls and monitoring
Deploy wireless intrusion detection systems to detect exploitation attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against Qualcomm advisory; use manufacturer-specific tools to verify WLAN chipset version.

Check Version:

Manufacturer-specific commands vary; typically 'adb shell getprop' for Android or vendor-specific firmware check tools.

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version; confirm wireless functionality remains stable under normal conditions.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected WLAN firmware crashes
Wireless interface resets
Kernel panic logs related to WLAN

Network Indicators:

Abnormal wireless disconnections
Suspicious wireless traffic patterns triggering the vulnerability

SIEM Query:

Wireless interface error logs containing 'assertion failure' or 'firmware crash' within WLAN subsystem

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33041

CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-617

Published: December 5, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

Ar8035 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csr8811 Firmware by Qualcomm

Flight Rb5 5g Platform 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

Immersive Home 3210 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Immersive Home 326 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq5010 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq5028 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq5332 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6010 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6018 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq6028 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8070 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8070a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8071a Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq8072a 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

Ipq9008 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq9554 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq9570 Firmware by Qualcomm

Ipq9574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Pmp8074 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8255p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8650p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8775p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca0000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca4024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6554a 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

Qca6698aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6797aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8072 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8075 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

Qca9888 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca9889 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcc2073 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcc2076 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcc710 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcf8000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcf8001 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm8550 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5021 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5022 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5052 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5054 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5122 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5124 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5152 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5154 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5164 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6023 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6024 Firmware by Qualcomm