CVE-2024-45542
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows memory corruption when a user-space application makes a specific IOCTL call to write board data to the WLAN driver. Attackers could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. Affects systems using Qualcomm WLAN drivers with vulnerable IOCTL handlers.
💻 Affected Systems
- Qualcomm WLAN drivers
📦 What is this software?
Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform Firmware →
Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute 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, leading to full system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local denial of service (system crash/BSOD) or limited privilege escalation within the user context.
If Mitigated
No impact if proper access controls prevent unprivileged users from making IOCTL calls to the driver.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires understanding of driver internals and memory layout; local access needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Qualcomm security bulletin for specific patched driver versions.
Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/january-2025-bulletin.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Review Qualcomm security bulletin for affected driver versions. 2. Obtain updated driver from device manufacturer or Qualcomm. 3. Install updated driver following vendor instructions. 4. Verify driver version after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict IOCTL access
allUse operating system security policies to restrict which users/applications can make IOCTL calls to the WLAN driver.
Platform-specific: Use SELinux/AppArmor policies on Linux, or Windows security descriptors.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit which users can interact with WLAN driver interfaces.
- Monitor for unusual driver activity or crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WLAN driver version against Qualcomm's advisory; examine system logs for IOCTL-related errors.Check Version:
Platform-specific: On Linux, use 'modinfo wlan_driver_module' or similar; on Windows, check driver properties in Device Manager.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version matches patched version from Qualcomm bulletin; test IOCTL functionality if possible.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs, driver crash dumps, unusual IOCTL calls to WLAN driver in system logs.
Network Indicators:
- None directly; exploitation is local.
SIEM Query:
Search for events related to WLAN driver crashes or privileged IOCTL calls from non-trusted processes.