Qualcomm Memory Corruption Vulnerability in Performance Counter Deselect Operation (CVE-2026-24082)

CVE-2026-24082 is a memory corruption vulnerability reported by Qualcomm, stemming from a use-after-free condition. The vulnerability occurs during the execution of a performance counter deselect operation, specifically when copying data from a memory location that has already been freed. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability was published on May 4, 2026, and assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8. This poses a significant risk to devices and systems incorporating vulnerable Qualcomm components, potentially leading to device instability, data compromise, or complete system takeover.

Attack Chain

1. A malicious application or process gains initial access to the system through a separate vulnerability or social engineering.
2. The malicious application triggers the performance counter functionality.
3. The application initiates a deselect operation on a specific performance counter.
4. During the deselect operation, the system attempts to copy data from a memory location associated with the performance counter.
5. Due to the vulnerability, the memory location has already been freed.
6. The copy operation attempts to read from the freed memory, resulting in a use-after-free condition.
7. This can lead to memory corruption, where arbitrary data is written to the freed memory region.
8. The memory corruption can be leveraged by the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected process.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-24082 can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. This could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or denial of service. The vulnerability affects devices and systems utilizing vulnerable Qualcomm components. The exact number of affected devices is not specified, but the potential impact is significant given Qualcomm’s widespread presence in mobile, IoT, and automotive industries.

Recommendation

• Monitor for unusual activity related to performance counter operations, specifically process creation events associated with performance monitoring tools using the Sigma rule DetectSuspiciousPerformanceCounterDeselect.
• Investigate any instances of memory corruption or use-after-free errors, especially those occurring in Qualcomm-related processes, as indicated by system logs.
• Consult the Qualcomm security bulletin for affected product lists and recommended mitigations at the provided URL.
• Enable process creation logging to capture events necessary for the DetectSuspiciousPerformanceCounterDeselect rule.