CVE-2025-21462 Overview
CVE-2025-21462 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting multiple Qualcomm firmware components. The flaw occurs when processing an I/O Control (IOCTL) request in which the supplied buffer significantly exceeds the command argument limit. An out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] results, corrupting adjacent memory in the driver context.
A local, low-privileged attacker can trigger the condition by issuing a crafted IOCTL to the affected driver. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected component, and may enable local privilege escalation in kernel or firmware context.
Critical Impact
A local attacker with low privileges can corrupt memory in Qualcomm firmware drivers and potentially execute code with elevated privileges on affected connectivity and audio chipsets.
Affected Products
- Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 and FastConnect 7800 firmware
- Qualcomm SA4150P, SA4155P, SA6155P, SA8155P, SA8195P, and SC8380XP firmware
- Qualcomm WCD9380, WCD9385, WSA8840, WSA8845, and WSA8845H firmware
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-06 - CVE-2025-21462 published to NVD alongside the Qualcomm May 2025 Security Bulletin
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-21462
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a memory corruption issue classified as an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787]. It occurs during IOCTL request handling when the input buffer size significantly exceeds the argument limit expected by the command handler. The driver fails to validate the buffer length against the maximum command argument size before performing a copy or structured write operation.
Because the affected code paths execute in privileged firmware or kernel driver contexts, corruption of adjacent memory can be leveraged to overwrite control data, function pointers, or kernel objects. This provides a foundation for local privilege escalation on affected Snapdragon and connectivity platforms.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or inadequate bounds checking of the length parameter accompanying an IOCTL command. The handler trusts a caller-supplied buffer size and proceeds with the operation when the buffer exceeds the expected command argument boundary, producing a write beyond the intended destination.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges, no user interaction, and access to the device node exposed by the vulnerable driver. An attacker submits an IOCTL request with a crafted length field and an oversized payload to the driver interface. The out-of-bounds write then corrupts adjacent kernel or firmware memory, enabling escalation depending on the memory layout.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-21462
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected kernel panics, driver crashes, or reboots on devices using affected Qualcomm FastConnect, WCD, WSA, SA, or SC-series chipsets.
- Untrusted or newly installed applications issuing IOCTL requests to Qualcomm audio, WLAN, or Bluetooth device nodes.
- Anomalous crash dumps referencing the affected firmware driver stack frames.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory endpoints and embedded devices to identify the presence of affected Qualcomm chipsets referenced in the Qualcomm May 2025 Security Bulletin.
- Monitor host telemetry for repeated driver faults, watchdog resets, or SMMU/IOMMU faults associated with Qualcomm subsystems.
- Correlate local process activity with IOCTL syscalls targeting Qualcomm driver interfaces, particularly from unprivileged user contexts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Collect and centralize kernel logs, dmesg output, and vendor-specific crash reports for review.
- Alert on new binaries requesting handles to Qualcomm-related device nodes on managed endpoints.
- Track firmware and driver versions against the fixed builds listed in the vendor bulletin to identify devices still exposed.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-21462
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the firmware updates published in the Qualcomm May 2025 Security Bulletin as they are distributed by device OEMs.
- Restrict local access to affected devices and enforce least privilege on user accounts and applications.
- Prioritize patching of mobile, automotive, and compute platforms that expose the affected chipsets to untrusted code.
Patch Information
Qualcomm addressed the issue in the May 2025 security bulletin. Fixes are delivered downstream by device OEMs and platform vendors as firmware and driver updates. Administrators should track OEM release notes for the specific chipset builds identified in the bulletin and confirm deployment across the fleet.
Workarounds
- Limit installation of untrusted applications on devices using affected Qualcomm chipsets until firmware updates are applied.
- Where supported by the platform, restrict access permissions on Qualcomm driver device nodes to privileged system services only.
- Isolate high-value devices that cannot be updated promptly on segmented networks to reduce the impact of local compromise.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
