CVE-2023-33048

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33048?

CVE-2023-33048 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). CVE-2023-33048 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm WLAN firmware that allows attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by sending specially crafted t2lm frames. This affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm wireless chipsets, potentially impacting smartphones, routers, IoT devices, and other wireless-enabled hardware.

7.5 HIGH

Denial of Service Buffer Overflow

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-33048 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm WLAN firmware that allows attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by sending specially crafted t2lm frames. This affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm wireless chipsets, potentially impacting smartphones, routers, IoT devices, and other wireless-enabled hardware.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm WLAN chipsets and devices using them

Versions: Specific firmware versions not detailed in public advisory

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

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm WLAN firmware; exact chipset models not specified in public references.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete wireless service disruption requiring device reboot, potentially affecting multiple devices in range if exploited via broadcast/multicast.

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary wireless connectivity loss on individual devices until firmware recovers or device reboots.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated firmware.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires proximity to target network but can be exploited remotely within wireless range.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers with wireless access could disrupt local network devices.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires sending malformed t2lm frames to vulnerable WLAN interfaces; no authentication needed but requires wireless proximity.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to device manufacturer updates

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check with device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply Qualcomm-provided firmware patches. 3. Reboot device after update. 4. Verify wireless functionality post-update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable WLAN features

all

Disable t2lm or related WLAN features if supported by device configuration

Device-specific commands; consult manufacturer documentation

Network segmentation

all

Isolate vulnerable devices on separate wireless networks

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict wireless access controls and network segmentation
Monitor for wireless DoS events and anomalous t2lm traffic patterns

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against manufacturer security bulletins; no universal command available

Check Version:

Device-specific; typically 'cat /proc/version' or manufacturer-specific commands

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm firmware version matches patched version from manufacturer

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

WLAN firmware crashes
Unexpected wireless disconnections
Kernel panic logs related to WLAN

Network Indicators:

Abnormal t2lm frame patterns
Excessive broadcast/multicast traffic to WLAN interfaces

SIEM Query:

Search for WLAN driver/firmware crash events or repeated wireless interface resets

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33048

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-126

Published: November 7, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

Ar8035 Firmware by Qualcomm

Csr8811 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

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

Qam8255p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8650p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8775p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca0000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca4024 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

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

Qcn5022 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn5052 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

Qcn6112 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6122 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6132 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6224 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6274 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9012 Firmware by Qualcomm