CVE-2026-24075: IOCTL Race Condition Vulnerability

CVE-2026-24075 Overview

CVE-2026-24075 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting a Qualcomm device control handler. The flaw occurs when multiple threads issue concurrent input/output control (IOCTL) requests to the handler. Improper synchronization and a race condition lead to memory corruption during shared state access. The weakness is classified under [CWE-126] (Buffer Over-read family). A local, authenticated attacker with low privileges can trigger the condition without user interaction. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Critical Impact
Local attackers can corrupt kernel memory through concurrent IOCTL calls, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system compromise on affected Qualcomm-based devices.

Affected Products

Qualcomm components as listed in the Qualcomm September 2026 Security Bulletin
Devices integrating vulnerable Qualcomm chipset drivers
Android and embedded platforms shipping the affected device control handler

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-17 - CVE-2026-24075 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-09-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24075

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in a Qualcomm device control handler that services IOCTL requests from userspace. When two or more threads invoke IOCTL operations against the same device concurrently, the handler fails to enforce mutual exclusion on shared data structures. This race condition allows one thread to mutate state while another reads or writes overlapping memory. The result is memory corruption within the kernel or driver context.

Because the attack vector is local and requires only low privileges, any process capable of opening the device node can attempt to trigger the flaw. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper synchronization within the IOCTL dispatch path. Shared buffers or metadata associated with device state are accessed without adequate locking, atomic operations, or reference counting. Under concurrent access, the handler can operate on partially updated structures, leading to buffer over-read conditions consistent with [CWE-126] and adjacent memory safety violations.

Attack Vector

An attacker with local access and a valid process context opens the affected device file. The attacker then spawns multiple threads that issue overlapping IOCTL calls with crafted parameters. Racing the handler across these threads causes the vulnerable code path to read beyond allocated buffer boundaries or operate on stale pointers. Refer to the Qualcomm September 2026 Security Bulletin for component-specific technical details. No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24075

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected kernel panics, driver faults, or device resets referencing the affected Qualcomm handler
Processes with low privileges opening device nodes and issuing high-frequency IOCTL calls from multiple threads
System logs (dmesg, logcat) showing memory access violations or use-after-free warnings tied to the driver

Detection Strategies

Monitor for anomalous IOCTL call patterns, particularly concurrent calls from the same process ID targeting Qualcomm device handlers
Baseline normal driver interaction volume and alert on statistical deviations
Correlate kernel crash telemetry with process ancestry to identify potential exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Collect and centralize kernel crash dumps and driver error logs for retrospective analysis
Enable auditd or eBPF-based syscall tracing on ioctl() invocations against affected device paths
Track privilege transitions following driver faults to detect post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24075

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the vendor patch referenced in the Qualcomm September 2026 Security Bulletin as soon as it is available for your device
Inventory devices using affected Qualcomm chipsets and prioritize patch deployment on high-risk endpoints
Restrict local access on multi-user systems and limit which processes can open the affected device nodes

Patch Information

Qualcomm addressed this vulnerability in its September 2026 security bulletin. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) integrate the fix into their downstream firmware and Android security patches. Deploy the vendor-supplied update through your standard mobile device management (MDM) or firmware update channel. Consult the Qualcomm September 2026 Security Bulletin for component versions and patch identifiers.

Workarounds

Reduce the attack surface by revoking access to the affected device nodes for untrusted applications where feasible
Enforce least-privilege application deployment policies to limit which processes can invoke IOCTL calls against the driver
Isolate high-value devices from untrusted user contexts until firmware updates are applied