CVE-2024-49830 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified as a classic buffer overflow (CWE-120) found in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The flaw arises from improper handling of input sizes during an IOCTL call that sets mixer controls, leading to memory corruption. Specifically, the vulnerability occurs because the code copies data into a buffer without verifying that the input size fits within the allocated buffer boundaries. This can cause overwriting of adjacent memory, potentially allowing an attacker with limited privileges (local access with low privileges) to escalate their control or cause denial of service. The affected Qualcomm products include a range of Snapdragon mobile platforms and modem components such as QCA6574AU, QCA6595AU, QCA6678AQ, QCA6688AQ, QCA6698AQ, QCA9367, QCA9377, SDM429W, Snapdragon 429 Mobile Platform, Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, WCN3620, and WCN3660B. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.6, reflecting medium severity, with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), low integrity impact (I:L), and low availability impact (A:L). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could be leveraged by an attacker with local access to the device to corrupt memory, potentially leading to privilege escalation or denial of service conditions. Given the nature of the affected components, this vulnerability primarily impacts devices using these Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, including smartphones, automotive systems, and IoT devices that incorporate these modules.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-49830 can be significant, especially for sectors relying heavily on mobile communications, automotive telematics, and IoT infrastructure. Confidentiality impact is rated high, meaning sensitive data processed or stored on affected devices could be exposed if exploited. Integrity and availability impacts are lower but still present, with potential for limited data corruption or service disruption. Organizations in telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, and critical infrastructure that utilize Snapdragon-based devices or modules could face risks of local privilege escalation or denial of service attacks, which may lead to operational disruptions or unauthorized data access. The requirement for local access and privileges somewhat limits the attack surface, but insider threats or malware that gains initial foothold could exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges or destabilize systems. The automotive sector is particularly sensitive since some affected chipsets are used in automotive 5G modems, raising concerns about vehicle safety and data integrity. Additionally, enterprises with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies may see indirect risks if employee devices are vulnerable and connected to corporate networks.

Given the lack of available patches at this time, European organizations should implement several targeted mitigations: 1) Restrict local access to devices using affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets by enforcing strict physical and logical access controls, including device lockdown and endpoint security solutions. 2) Monitor and restrict the use of IOCTL calls related to mixer controls through kernel-level security policies or application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized invocation. 3) Employ runtime protection mechanisms such as Control Flow Integrity (CFI) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) on affected devices to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. 4) Conduct thorough inventory and asset management to identify devices with impacted chipsets and prioritize them for enhanced monitoring and eventual patching. 5) Collaborate with device manufacturers and Qualcomm for timely updates and apply firmware or software patches as soon as they become available. 6) Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities and enforce strict privilege separation to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. 7) For automotive and IoT deployments, implement network segmentation and anomaly detection to quickly identify suspicious behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts.