CVE-2023-33049

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33049?

CVE-2023-33049 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). CVE-2023-33049 is a heap memory leak vulnerability in Qualcomm's Multi-Mode Call Processor that can cause a denial of service (DoS) when user equipment (UE) fails. This affects mobile devices and infrastructure using vulnerable Qualcomm chipsets, potentially disrupting cellular connectivity.

7.5 HIGH

Denial of Service

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-33049 is a heap memory leak vulnerability in Qualcomm's Multi-Mode Call Processor that can cause a denial of service (DoS) when user equipment (UE) fails. This affects mobile devices and infrastructure using vulnerable Qualcomm chipsets, potentially disrupting cellular connectivity.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm chipsets with Multi-Mode Call Processor functionality

Versions: Specific versions not publicly detailed; refer to Qualcomm advisory for chipset-specific details.

Operating Systems: Android and other mobile OSes using affected Qualcomm chipsets

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects both mobile devices and cellular network infrastructure equipment using vulnerable Qualcomm components.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete cellular service disruption on affected devices, requiring device restart or carrier intervention to restore functionality.

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary call drops or connectivity issues for individual users on vulnerable devices.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper patching; isolated incidents quickly resolved.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a cellular network vulnerability, not directly internet-exposed.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Affects internal cellular infrastructure and devices, but requires specific conditions.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires triggering specific UE failure conditions; no public exploit details available.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm chipset-specific security updates

Vendor Advisory: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/february-2024-bulletin

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check with device manufacturer for security updates. 2. Apply Qualcomm-provided firmware patches. 3. Reboot affected devices after patching.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network-side monitoring

all

Monitor cellular network for abnormal UE failures and isolate affected devices

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement network monitoring to detect and isolate devices showing abnormal failure patterns
Consider temporary device replacement or rotation for critical infrastructure components

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against manufacturer's security bulletins; verify Qualcomm chipset model and firmware version

Check Version:

Device-specific: Typically in Settings > About Phone > Software Information

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm firmware version has been updated to patched version from manufacturer

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Repeated UE failure events in cellular network logs
Abnormal call processor restarts

Network Indicators:

Increased call drop rates in specific areas
Unusual UE re-registration patterns

SIEM Query:

Search for 'UE failure' OR 'call processor restart' events in cellular network logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33049

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-401

Published: February 6, 2024

Last Updated: August 11, 2025

🔗 References

https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/february-2024-bulletin Vendor Advisory
https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/february-2024-bulletin Vendor Advisory

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

315 5g Iot Modem Firmware by Qualcomm

Ar8035 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6200 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6700 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6900 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 7800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6174a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6421 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6426 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6431 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6436 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6584au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6696 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6698aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8081 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca8337 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcc710 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm8550 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6224 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn6274 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9024 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs4490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs8550 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qep8111 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qfw7114 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qfw7124 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd855 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd865 5g Firmware by Qualcomm

Sd888 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sdx55 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sdx57m Firmware by Qualcomm

Sg8275p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sm7250p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sm7315 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sm7325p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sm8550p Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 480 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 480 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 690 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 695 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 750g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 765 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 765g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 768g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 778g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 778g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 780g 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 782g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 7c\+ Gen 3 Compute Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 855\+\/860 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 865 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 865 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 870 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 888 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 888 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon Auto 5g Modem Rf Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon Auto 5g Modem Rf Gen 2 Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon X35 5g Modem Rf System Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon X55 5g Modem Rf System Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon X65 5g Modem Rf System Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon X70 Modem Rf System Firmware by Qualcomm