CVE-2024-43049
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local attackers to cause memory corruption in WLAN drivers by sending specially crafted IOCTL calls. It affects devices using Qualcomm WLAN chipsets, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution. Attackers need local access to exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Qualcomm WLAN chipsets and associated drivers
📦 What is this software?
Snapdragon 429 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 429 Mobile Platform Firmware →
Snapdragon 7c\+ Gen 3 Compute Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 7c\+ Gen 3 Compute 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
System instability, denial of service through kernel crashes, or limited local code execution within driver context.
If Mitigated
No impact if proper access controls prevent unauthorized users from making IOCTL calls to WLAN drivers.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires understanding of WLAN driver internals and IOCTL handling; no public exploit code available as of reference date.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches included in December 2024 Qualcomm security bulletin updates
Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/december-2024-bulletin.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check Qualcomm security bulletin for specific affected chipset/driver versions. 2. Obtain updated driver/firmware from device manufacturer. 3. Apply patches according to manufacturer instructions. 4. Verify patch application through version checks.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict IOCTL access
Linux-based systemsImplement access controls to prevent unauthorized users from making IOCTL calls to WLAN drivers
chmod 600 /dev/wlan*
setfacl -m u:root:rw /dev/wlan*
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict user privilege separation to limit who can execute IOCTL calls
- Monitor for unusual WLAN driver activity or crashes using system logs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Qualcomm security bulletin for specific chipset/driver versions; examine system for Qualcomm WLAN hardware/driversCheck Version:
dmesg | grep -i qualcomm && lsmod | grep -i wlanVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver/firmware version matches patched versions from Qualcomm bulletin; test IOCTL functionality if possible📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic or oops messages related to WLAN drivers
- Unusual IOCTL calls to WLAN device files in audit logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("WLAN" OR "qualcomm") AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "segfault")