^{CVE-2020-11155:}Buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Bluetooth PDU packet processing (CVE-2020-11155)

Overview

CVE-2020-11155 is a classic buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-120) affecting the Bluetooth implementation in Qualcomm chipsets. When processing Protocol Data Unit (PDU) packets in the Bluetooth subsystem, the affected code fails to properly validate buffer lengths before performing copy operations, potentially allowing an attacker to overflow the destination buffer. This could lead to memory corruption, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution, denial of service, or information disclosure. The vulnerability affects multiple Qualcomm product lines and specific chipsets including APQ8009, APQ8053, QCA6390, QCN7605, QCN7606, SA415M, SA515M, SA6155P, SA8155P, SC8180X, and SDX55.

Remediation

Users and device manufacturers should apply the security patches provided by Qualcomm in their October 2020 Security Bulletin. The specific remediation steps include:

1. Device manufacturers should update their firmware with the latest patches from Qualcomm
2. End users should install all available system and firmware updates for their devices
3. When updates are not available, consider limiting Bluetooth usage in high-risk environments
4. Keep Bluetooth disabled when not in use
5. Maintain physical distance from untrusted devices that might attempt to exploit this vulnerability

References

1. Qualcomm October 2020 Security Bulletin: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/product-security/bulletins/october-2020-security-bulletin
2. Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE-120): Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input
3. Affected chipsets: APQ8009, APQ8053, QCA6390, QCN7605, QCN7606, SA415M, SA515M, SA6155P, SA8155P, SC8180X, SDX55
4. Affected product lines: Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer Electronics Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking