📄 Description (English)
Cryptographic issue while processing partition table entries allows unauthorized modification of boot flow.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2026-24090 is a high-severity cryptographic vulnerability in Qualcomm firmware affecting multiple SoC platforms used in enterprise and mobile devices. The flaw allows unauthorized modification of boot flow through improper partition table entry processing, potentially enabling bootkit-level attacks. This vulnerability poses significant risk to Saudi organizations relying on Qualcomm-based infrastructure, particularly in government and financial sectors where boot integrity is critical.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Jun 6, 2026 18:17
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Banking and Financial Services (SAMA-regulated): High risk to ATM networks, payment processing systems, and banking infrastructure using Qualcomm-based devices. Government/NCA: Critical impact on government IT infrastructure, national security systems, and critical infrastructure relying on affected SoCs. Telecommunications (STC, Mobily, Zain): Significant exposure in network infrastructure, 5G equipment, and mobile device management. Energy Sector (Saudi Aramco, SEC): Risk to SCADA systems and industrial control devices using Qualcomm processors. Healthcare: Exposure in medical devices and hospital IT infrastructure. The vulnerability enables persistent, low-level compromise through bootkit installation, making detection and remediation extremely difficult.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Telecommunications
Energy and Utilities
Healthcare
Defense and National Security
Critical Infrastructure
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1542.001 - Pre-OS Boot: System Firmware
T1542.005 - Pre-OS Boot: BIOS/UEFI
T1542 - Pre-OS Boot
T1547.001 - Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
T1547 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
T1578 - Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure
T1601 - Modify Firmware
T1601.001 - Modify Firmware: Firmware Modification
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
8.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Inventory all devices using affected Qualcomm SoCs (AR8031, AR8035, Cologne, CQ7790, CQ8725S, SM6850, SM7435, SM7435P, SM7525, SM7550) across your organization
2. Isolate critical systems from network if firmware updates cannot be applied immediately
3. Enable UEFI Secure Boot and TPM-based attestation where available
4. Implement hardware-based boot verification mechanisms
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
1. Contact Qualcomm or your device OEM for firmware patches immediately
2. Establish a phased patching schedule prioritizing: government systems > financial infrastructure > telecommunications > general enterprise
3. Test patches in isolated lab environment before production deployment
4. Maintain rollback procedures for each firmware update
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if patches unavailable):
1. Implement BIOS/firmware write-protection at hardware level
2. Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions with boot-level monitoring
3. Enable secure boot with verified boot chains
4. Implement hardware security modules (HSM) for cryptographic operations
5. Monitor partition table modifications using firmware integrity monitoring tools
DETECTION RULES:
1. Alert on unauthorized partition table modifications
2. Monitor for unsigned firmware modifications
3. Track failed cryptographic verification attempts during boot
4. Detect anomalous boot sequence behavior
5. Monitor for disabled secure boot or attestation mechanisms
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. قم بحصر جميع الأجهزة التي تستخدم معالجات Qualcomm المتأثرة (AR8031, AR8035, Cologne, CQ7790, CQ8725S, SM6850, SM7435, SM7435P, SM7525, SM7550) عبر مؤسستك
2. عزل الأنظمة الحرجة عن الشبكة إذا لم يكن بالإمكان تطبيق تحديثات البرامج الثابتة فوراً
3. تفعيل UEFI Secure Boot والتحقق المستند إلى TPM حيث يكون متاحاً
4. تنفيذ آليات التحقق من الإقلاع المستندة إلى الأجهزة
إرشادات التصحيح:
1. اتصل بـ Qualcomm أو مصنع الجهاز الخاص بك للحصول على تحديثات البرامج الثابتة فوراً
2. إنشاء جدول تصحيح مرحلي يعطي الأولوية للأنظمة الحكومية > البنية التحتية المالية > الاتصالات > المؤسسات العامة
3. اختبر التصحيحات في بيئة معملية معزولة قبل نشرها في الإنتاج
4. الحفاظ على إجراءات التراجع لكل تحديث برامج ثابتة
الضوابط البديلة (إذا لم تكن التصحيحات متاحة):
1. تنفيذ حماية كتابة BIOS/البرامج الثابتة على مستوى الأجهزة
2. نشر حلول الكشف والاستجابة على نقاط النهاية (EDR) مع مراقبة على مستوى الإقلاع
3. تفعيل الإقلاع الآمن مع سلاسل إقلاع موثوقة
4. تنفيذ وحدات الأمان الأجهزة (HSM) للعمليات التشفيرية
5. مراقبة تعديلات جدول التقسيم باستخدام أدوات مراقبة سلامة البرامج الثابتة
قواعد الكشف:
1. تنبيهات عند تعديلات جدول التقسيم غير المصرح بها
2. مراقبة تعديلات البرامج الثابتة غير الموقعة
3. تتبع محاولات التحقق التشفيري الفاشلة أثناء الإقلاع
4. الكشف عن السلوك الشاذ في تسلسل الإقلاع
5. مراقبة الأنظمة المعطلة للإقلاع الآمن أو آليات التحقق
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Cryptographic controls and key management
A.5.2.1 - Secure boot and firmware integrity
A.8.2.1 - System hardening and secure configuration
A.8.2.3 - Removal of unnecessary functionality
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.SC-7 - Hardware, software, and firmware asset management
PR.DS-6 - Integrity checking mechanisms
PR.PT-2 - Removable media protection
DE.CM-7 - Monitoring physical environment
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.8.2.1 - User endpoint devices
A.8.2.2 - Privileged access rights
A.8.2.3 - Information access restriction
A.8.3.1 - Cryptographic controls
A.8.3.2 - Cryptographic key management
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 2.2.4 - Configure system security parameters
Requirement 6.2 - Ensure security patches are installed
Requirement 6.5.10 - Broken authentication and session management
📦 Affected Products / CPE 50 entries
qualcomm:ar8031_firmware:-
qualcomm:ar8035_firmware:-
qualcomm:cologne_firmware:-
qualcomm:cq7790_firmware:-
qualcomm:cq8725s_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm6850_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7435_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7435p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7525_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7550_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7550p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7635p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7675_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm7675p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8550p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8635_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8635p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8650q_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8735p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8750p_firmware:-
qualcomm:sm8845p_firmware:-
qualcomm:smart_audio_400_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_4_gen_1_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_4_gen_2_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_460_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_480_5g_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_480\+_5g_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_6_gen_1_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_6_gen_3_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_6_gen_4_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_662_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_680_4g_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_685_4g_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_695_5g_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_7_gen_4_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_7s_gen_3_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_8_elite_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_8_elite_gen_5_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_8_gen_2_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_8_gen_3_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_8\+_gen_2_mobile_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_ar1_gen_1_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_ar1\+_gen_1_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_auto_5g_modem-rf_gen_2_firmware:-
qualcomm:snapdragon_w5\+_gen_1_wearable_platform_firmware:-
qualcomm:wsa8830_firmware:-
qualcomm:wsa8832_firmware:-
qualcomm:wsa8835_firmware:-
qualcomm:wsa8840_firmware:-
qualcomm:wsa8845_firmware:-