Appsecure logo

CVE-2022-33243: High Vulnerability in Qualcomm IPC

CVE-2022-33243 is a high-severity vulnerability in Qualcomm IPC, posing a significant risk due to memory corruption from improper access control. Immediate action is required to mitigate potential impacts.

HIGHCVSS 8.4 · Published February 12, 2023

Not a customer? See how AppSecure simulates real world attacks to protect your infrastructure.

Speak to Experts

CVE-2022-33243 is classified as a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS score of 8.4. This vulnerability allows for memory corruption due to improper access control in Qualcomm IPC. The implications of this vulnerability are significant, as it can lead to unauthorized access and manipulation of sensitive data.

The risk to organizations includes potential data breaches and system instability. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, creating a pathway for further exploitation within the affected systems. Given the severity, organizations should prioritize patching immediately.

As of the latest intelligence, no public exploits have been confirmed, and the vulnerability has not been listed as actively exploited in the wild. However, the potential impacts warrant immediate attention and preparation for remediation.

In response to this vulnerability, organizations are advised to assess their systems for the affected Qualcomm firmware versions and implement necessary patches or mitigations as soon as possible.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability manifests due to memory corruption stemming from improper access control in Qualcomm IPC. It has been assigned a CVSS score of 8.4, indicating high severity. The affected systems include various Qualcomm firmware products, posing a substantial risk across numerous devices.

The vulnerability was published on February 12, 2023, and falls under the category of CWE-284, which pertains to improper access control. Organizations using impacted Qualcomm firmware should take this vulnerability seriously.

Technical Analysis

The root cause of CVE-2022-33243 is traced back to improper access control mechanisms implemented within the Qualcomm IPC. This flaw results in memory corruption, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

The attack vector is local, meaning that a potential attacker needs physical access to the device to exploit this vulnerability. The attack complexity is low, and no user interaction is required, which significantly increases the risk.

The impacts of this vulnerability are severe, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Successful exploitation can lead to a complete compromise of the affected system.

Risk & Impact Analysis

Real-world deployment risks associated with CVE-2022-33243 include the potential for significant data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Organizations utilizing Qualcomm products should be acutely aware of the blast radius this vulnerability could present, particularly in environments with sensitive data or critical infrastructure.

Given the high CVSS score and the nature of the vulnerability, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. The urgency for remediation is classified as high due to the severe potential impacts.

Exploitation Status

Signal

Status

Known Exploit

No

Public PoC

No

Actively Exploited

No

Ransomware Use

No

Affected Versions

All versions prior to vendor patch are affected, primarily including various Qualcomm firmware such as apq8096au, aqt1000, and ar9380 among others. Organizations should ensure their systems are updated to the latest firmware versions.

Mitigation & Remediation

Organizations should prioritize applying the latest patches provided by Qualcomm. Specific firmware updates should be implemented immediately to remediate the vulnerability. In cases where patches are unavailable, organizations should consider implementing temporary workarounds, conducting configuration hardening, and establishing network controls to mitigate risk. Continuous monitoring should be set up to detect any anomalous behavior.

For further details on penetration testing services that can identify similar vulnerabilities, organizations may refer to penetration testing to validate the effectiveness of their remediation efforts.

Detection Guidance

Organizations should monitor logs for unusual access patterns and system changes indicative of exploitation attempts. Behavioral anomalies should be flagged, especially those related to memory access violations. Network signatures related to unauthorized access should be established to detect potential attempts to exploit this vulnerability.

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

The long-term significance of CVE-2022-33243 highlights the importance of robust access controls in firmware development. The vulnerability underscores the need for continuous security assessments to identify weaknesses in systems. Security teams should learn from this incident to enhance their defensive strategies and consider implementing a vulnerability management program to proactively manage and mitigate future risks.

In addition, organizations can benefit from reviewing their security posture through a penetration testing methodology to identify and address similar vulnerabilities.

Lastly, conducting regular security assessments, including mobile app penetration testing, can strengthen overall security measures.

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

Latest CVEs. Recently published vulnerabilities from the NVD database.

View all vulnerabilities
CVE IDSeverity
CVE-2025-65418HIGH
CVE-2025-65417MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65416MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65415MEDIUM
CVE-2025-61314HIGH

Protect Your Business with Hacker-Focused Approach.