CVE-2023-33061

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33061?

CVE-2023-33061 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition in affected devices by sending specially crafted WLAN beacon or probe-response frames. It affects devices with Qualcomm WLAN firmware that haven't been patched. The attack can temporarily disrupt wireless connectivity on vulnerable systems.

7.5 HIGH

Denial of Service

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition in affected devices by sending specially crafted WLAN beacon or probe-response frames. It affects devices with Qualcomm WLAN firmware that haven't been patched. The attack can temporarily disrupt wireless connectivity on vulnerable systems.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm WLAN chipsets and devices using affected firmware

Versions: Specific firmware versions as listed in Qualcomm advisories (check vendor bulletins)

Operating Systems: Any OS using affected Qualcomm WLAN hardware/drivers

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm WLAN firmware regardless of operating system. Check device manufacturer for specific models.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete wireless network disruption requiring device reboot, potentially affecting critical infrastructure or medical devices relying on WLAN connectivity.

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary loss of wireless connectivity on affected devices, requiring manual intervention to restore functionality.

🟢

If Mitigated

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

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Attackers could target exposed wireless networks, but requires proximity or specific network access.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers could disrupt wireless networks, but requires physical proximity or network access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires sending malformed WLAN frames, which can be done with standard wireless tools. No authentication needed.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm November 2023 security bulletin for specific firmware versions

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check Qualcomm advisory for affected firmware versions. 2. Contact device manufacturer for updated firmware/drivers. 3. Apply firmware updates following manufacturer instructions. 4. Reboot device after update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable WLAN interfaces

all

Temporarily disable wireless interfaces to prevent exploitation

sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable

Implement network segmentation

all

Isolate wireless networks from critical infrastructure

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict wireless network access controls and monitoring
Use wired connections for critical systems instead of wireless

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against Qualcomm advisory. Use: lspci -vnn | grep -i qualcomm (Linux) or device manager properties (Windows)

Check Version:

Manufacturer-specific commands vary. Check device firmware settings or use: dmesg | grep -i firmware (Linux)

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version from manufacturer

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected WLAN disconnections
Firmware crash logs
Multiple connection resets

Network Indicators:

Unusual beacon/probe-response frame patterns
Increased WLAN retransmissions

SIEM Query:

source="wireless_logs" AND (event="disconnect" OR event="reset") AND count>threshold

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33061

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

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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