CVE-2026-21374: Qualcomm Aqt1000 Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2026-21374 Overview

CVE-2026-21374 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting numerous Qualcomm chipsets and firmware components. The vulnerability occurs when processing auxiliary sensor input/output control commands with insufficient buffer size validation. This flaw can allow a local attacker with low privileges to potentially achieve code execution, data disclosure, or cause system instability on affected devices.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit this memory corruption vulnerability to potentially gain elevated privileges, execute arbitrary code, or compromise the confidentiality and integrity of affected Qualcomm-based devices including mobile platforms, compute platforms, and audio components.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 460/662 Mobile Platforms
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c/8c/8cx Compute Platforms (multiple generations)
• Qualcomm FastConnect 6200/6700/6800/6900/7800 series
• Qualcomm WCD9340/9341/9370/9375/9378c/9380/9385 Audio Codecs
• Qualcomm WSA8810/8815/8830/8832/8835/8840/8845/8845H Amplifiers
• Qualcomm QCA6391/6420/6430 Wireless Components
• Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Platform
• Qualcomm Video Collaboration VC3 Platform

Discovery Timeline

• April 6, 2026 - CVE-2026-21374 published to NVD
• April 8, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-21374

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-126 (Buffer Over-read), indicating that the affected firmware improperly handles buffer boundaries when processing auxiliary sensor I/O control commands. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of buffer sizes before memory operations are performed, potentially allowing an attacker to read or corrupt memory beyond the intended boundaries.

The attack requires local access to the system and low privileges, making it exploitable by malicious applications or users who have already gained some level of access to an affected device. Successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system without requiring any user interaction.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-21374 lies in insufficient buffer size validation within the auxiliary sensor input/output control command processing routines. When the firmware processes these control commands, it fails to properly validate that user-supplied buffer sizes match the expected boundaries, leading to potential buffer over-read conditions. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when:

1. Input buffer lengths are not validated against expected maximum sizes
2. Memory copy operations trust user-controlled size parameters without sanitization
3. Boundary checks are missing or improperly implemented in control command handlers

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, meaning an attacker must have some form of local access to the target device. This could be achieved through a malicious application installed on the device, physical access, or compromise of another component that provides local access. The attacker can craft malicious auxiliary sensor I/O control commands with specially crafted buffer parameters that trigger the memory corruption condition.

The exploitation path involves sending malformed control commands to the vulnerable firmware component, which processes the commands without adequate size validation. This allows the attacker to potentially read sensitive memory contents, corrupt adjacent memory structures, or achieve code execution depending on the specific memory layout and exploitation technique used.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-21374

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual system crashes or kernel panics related to audio or sensor subsystems on affected Qualcomm devices
• Unexpected memory access violations or segmentation faults in firmware-related processes
• Anomalous behavior in auxiliary sensor components or I/O operations
• Suspicious applications attempting to interact with low-level sensor or audio hardware interfaces

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for memory corruption indicators or crashes originating from Qualcomm firmware components
• Implement endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying exploitation attempts targeting firmware vulnerabilities
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity platform for real-time behavioral analysis and firmware-level threat detection
• Conduct regular firmware version audits to identify devices running vulnerable Qualcomm components

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for sensor subsystem operations and firmware interactions where possible
• Monitor for unusual patterns of control command activity targeting auxiliary sensors
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized applications from accessing hardware interfaces
• Utilize SentinelOne's Storyline™ technology to track and correlate suspicious activity chains that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-21374

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all devices in your environment using affected Qualcomm chipsets and firmware
• Apply vendor-provided firmware updates as soon as they become available from device manufacturers
• Restrict installation of applications from untrusted sources on affected devices
• Implement network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement from compromised devices

Patch Information

Qualcomm has addressed this vulnerability in their April 2026 Security Bulletin. Organizations should consult the Qualcomm Security Bulletin April 2026 for detailed patch information. Device manufacturers (OEMs) are responsible for distributing the firmware updates to end users through their respective update channels.

Contact your device manufacturer or carrier to obtain the specific firmware updates that include the fix for CVE-2026-21374. Enterprise organizations should work with their mobile device management (MDM) solutions to track and deploy firmware updates across their device fleet.

Workarounds

• Limit the installation of applications to trusted sources only (official app stores, vetted enterprise applications)
• Implement mobile device management policies that restrict access to sensitive hardware interfaces
• Isolate affected devices from sensitive network segments until patches can be applied
• Enable additional monitoring and logging on affected devices to detect potential exploitation attempts

# Example: Check Qualcomm firmware version on Android devices via ADB
adb shell getprop ro.board.platform
adb shell getprop ro.baseband
# Review device security patch level
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch