CVE-2024-38411
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory corruption vulnerability in Qualcomm components where improper validation of user-space buffers during IOCTL calls allows attackers to corrupt kernel memory. It affects devices using vulnerable Qualcomm chipsets, potentially allowing local privilege escalation or denial of service.
💻 Affected Systems
- Qualcomm chipsets and associated drivers/firmware
📦 What is this software?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware →
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Firmware →
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Firmware →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation to kernel mode, allowing complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local denial of service through kernel panic or system crash, potentially requiring physical device restart.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper kernel hardening, SELinux/apparmor policies, and user privilege separation are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to make specific IOCTL calls; memory corruption exploitation requires additional techniques like heap grooming.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to Qualcomm February 2025 security bulletin for specific chipset firmware versions
Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/february-2025-bulletin.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check device chipset model. 2. Refer to Qualcomm advisory for affected firmware versions. 3. Apply firmware/driver updates from device manufacturer. 4. Reboot device.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict IOCTL access
linuxUse SELinux or AppArmor policies to restrict IOCTL calls to vulnerable drivers from untrusted applications
# Example SELinux policy modification (consult device-specific documentation)
# setsebool -P deny_ioctl false
Disable vulnerable drivers
linuxIf functionality not required, blacklist or disable the specific Qualcomm driver module
echo "blacklist vulnerable_driver" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod vulnerable_driver
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application sandboxing to prevent untrusted apps from making kernel IOCTL calls
- Deploy kernel hardening features like KASLR, stack canaries, and SMAP/SMEP if supported by hardware
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Qualcomm chipset firmware version against advisory; examine kernel logs for specific driver loadingCheck Version:
cat /sys/devices/soc0/{build_id,revision} 2>/dev/null || dmesg | grep -i qualcommVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version updated per advisory; test IOCTL calls to confirm proper buffer validation📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- IOCTL error messages in dmesg
- Unexpected driver crashes
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "general protection fault") AND process="vulnerable_driver"