CVE-2022-40540

Local privilege escalation via unchecked metadata copy

Published Mar 7, 2023 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Classic buffer overflow in Qualcomm Snapdragon firmware loading allows local users to elevate privileges via a crafted firmware image. The qcom_mdt_read_metadata function in drivers/soc/qcom/mdt_loader.c trusts firmware-derived ELF header and hash lengths when copying metadata into a kernel buffer. Exploitation requires local access to trigger the peripheral image loader on an affected Snapdragon Mobile or Wearables chipset, and successful corruption can grant elevated control or crash the device.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Classic buffer overflow in Qualcomm Snapdragon firmware loading allows local users to elevate privileges via a crafted firmware image. The qcom_mdt_read_metadata function in drivers/soc/qcom/mdt_loader.c trusts firmware-derived ELF header and hash lengths when copying metadata into a kernel buffer. Exploitation requires local access to trigger the peripheral image loader on an affected Snapdragon Mobile or Wearables chipset, and successful corruption can grant elevated control or crash the device.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-40540
Published
Mar 7, 2023
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Qualcomm
Product
Snapdragon
Classifications
CWE-120, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=SD888 5G
  2. Affected versionversion=SD 8 Gen1 5G
  3. Affected versionversion=SW5100
  4. Affected versionversion=SW5100P
  5. Affected versionversion=WCD9380
  6. Affected versionversion=WCD9385
  7. Affected versionversion=WCN3980
  8. Affected versionversion=WCN3988
  9. Affected versionversion=WCN6850
  10. Affected versionversion=WCN6851
  11. Affected versionversion=WCN6855
  12. Affected versionversion=WCN6856
  13. Affected versionversion=WCN7850
  14. Affected versionversion=WCN7851
  15. Affected versionversion=WSA8830
  16. Affected versionversion=WSA8835

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Qualcomm · Snapdragonversion=SD888 5G; version=SD 8 Gen1 5G; version=SW5100; version=SW5100P; version=WCD9380; version=WCD9385; version=WCN3980; version=WCN3988; version=WCN6850; version=WCN6851; version=WCN6855; version=WCN6856; version=WCN7850; version=WCN7851; version=WSA8830; version=WSA8835

Published CVSS scores

8.4Qualcomm, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-120Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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