CVE-2023-33099

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-33099?

CVE-2023-33099 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows a denial-of-service (DoS) attack on 5G NR (New Radio) devices by sending specially crafted SMS messages with non-standard container sizes. It affects mobile devices using Qualcomm chipsets with vulnerable firmware. Attackers can temporarily disrupt cellular connectivity on targeted devices.

7.5 HIGH

Denial of Service

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows a denial-of-service (DoS) attack on 5G NR (New Radio) devices by sending specially crafted SMS messages with non-standard container sizes. It affects mobile devices using Qualcomm chipsets with vulnerable firmware. Attackers can temporarily disrupt cellular connectivity on targeted devices.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms
5G NR devices with Qualcomm modems

Versions: Specific firmware versions not publicly detailed; refer to Qualcomm security bulletin for affected versions.

Operating Systems: Android and other mobile OS using Qualcomm chipsets

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices with vulnerable Qualcomm firmware; exact device models depend on chipset and firmware version.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete loss of cellular connectivity on affected devices, requiring device restart to restore service. Could be used in targeted attacks against critical mobile infrastructure or emergency services devices.

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary service disruption on individual devices, causing dropped calls, failed SMS delivery, and interrupted data sessions until the device recovers or is restarted.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper network filtering and updated firmware; isolated incidents affecting only devices that haven't been patched.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Attack requires proximity to target device or access to cellular network infrastructure, but SMS can be sent remotely through various services.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - Primarily affects mobile devices connecting to external cellular networks rather than internal enterprise systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires sending specially crafted SMS messages; no authentication needed but requires ability to send SMS to target device.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm April 2024 security bulletin for specific patched firmware versions

Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/april-2024-bulletin.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check device manufacturer for security updates. 2. Apply firmware updates from device manufacturer. 3. Restart device after update. 4. Verify patch applied via device settings.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

SMS Filtering

all

Implement SMS filtering at network level to block messages with non-standard container sizes

Disable SMS Auto-retrieve

android

Configure devices to not automatically retrieve SMS messages

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement network-level SMS filtering to block malicious messages
Monitor for unusual SMS patterns and cellular service disruptions

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against Qualcomm's security bulletin; vulnerable if using affected chipset firmware.

Check Version:

Android: Settings > About Phone > Build Number/Baseband Version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify device has received April 2024 or later security updates from manufacturer; check firmware version in device settings.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Multiple failed SMS processing attempts
Unexpected modem/radio resets
DL NAS transport errors

Network Indicators:

Unusual SMS traffic patterns
SMS messages with non-standard sizes
Increased cellular service disruptions

SIEM Query:

Search for modem/radio reset events or SMS processing failures in device logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-33099

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-20

Published: April 1, 2024

Last Updated: August 11, 2025

🔗 References

https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/april-2024-bulletin.html Vendor Advisory
https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/april-2024-bulletin.html Vendor Advisory

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

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Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 480 5g Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 480 5g Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 690 5g Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm

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