CVE-2025-21463 Overview
CVE-2025-21463 is a transient denial-of-service vulnerability in Qualcomm Wi-Fi firmware. The flaw resides in the parser that processes the Extremely High Throughput (EHT) operation Information Element (IE) within received 802.11 beacon frames. A network-adjacent attacker can transmit a crafted beacon to disrupt the wireless subsystem on affected chipsets, causing a transient denial of service.
The weakness is classified as CWE-126: Buffer Over-read. The defect affects a broad set of Qualcomm wireless and platform firmware used across mobile, automotive, networking, and IoT devices.
Critical Impact
A remote attacker within Wi-Fi range can trigger a transient denial of service on devices powered by affected Qualcomm chipsets by transmitting a malformed beacon frame, with no user interaction or authentication required.
Affected Products
- Qualcomm FastConnect 6700, 6900, and 7800 Wi-Fi subsystems
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8+ Gen 2, and 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platforms
- Qualcomm QCA, IPQ, QCN, WCN, and WSA firmware families used in networking and audio devices
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-03 - CVE-2025-21463 published to NVD
- 2025-11-28 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-21463
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability exists in the Wi-Fi firmware logic that parses the EHT operation IE carried inside beacon frames. EHT operation is a Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) element that advertises operating channel and bandwidth parameters to client stations. The firmware reads attacker-controlled length and offset fields from the beacon without sufficient bounds validation.
When the parser encounters a malformed EHT operation IE, it reads past the boundary of the allocated buffer. This out-of-bounds read corrupts internal state in the wireless modem, resulting in a transient denial of service. The wireless interface becomes unresponsive until the firmware recovers or the device reinitializes the radio.
The issue is described by CWE-126: Buffer Over-read. Availability is the only impacted security property — confidentiality and integrity are not affected.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing length validation in the EHT operation IE handler. The firmware trusts the element length and embedded sub-field offsets supplied in the beacon. When the supplied length exceeds the actual IE buffer, the parser dereferences memory beyond the legitimate frame contents.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires the attacker to be within Wi-Fi transmission range of a target device. The attacker broadcasts a beacon frame containing a malformed EHT operation IE on a channel the target is scanning or associated with. Stations that process the beacon during scan, association, or neighbor reports trigger the parsing fault.
No authentication or user interaction is needed. Because beacons are unauthenticated management frames in 802.11, any nearby radio can spoof an access point and emit the malicious frame.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-21463
Indicators of Compromise
- Repeated unexpected disassociation or Wi-Fi disconnect events on devices with Qualcomm radios in a localized area
- Wireless driver or firmware crash logs referencing EHT operation IE parsing, beacon handling, or Wi-Fi 7 elements
- Presence of rogue access points broadcasting beacons with abnormally large or malformed EHT operation IE fields
Detection Strategies
- Capture 802.11 management frames in the affected radio environment and inspect EHT operation IE (Element ID 108 with extension) length fields against the 802.11be specification
- Correlate device-side kernel or modem crash dumps with beacon arrival timestamps from nearby wireless sensors
- Monitor wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) alerts for spoofed SSIDs and abnormal beacon content patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Deploy WIDS or wireless packet capture at sites running Qualcomm-based endpoints, IoT, and access points
- Aggregate Wi-Fi driver and firmware fault telemetry from managed endpoints to identify clusters of transient outages
- Track firmware build numbers across the fleet to confirm that vendor patches have been applied
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-21463
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory devices containing affected Qualcomm chipsets, including mobile handsets, automotive platforms, access points, and IoT modules
- Apply firmware updates supplied by device OEMs that incorporate the Qualcomm June 2025 security bulletin fixes
- Prioritize patching of devices operating in high-density Wi-Fi environments and public spaces where rogue beacons are easier to inject
Patch Information
Qualcomm published fixes in the Qualcomm June 2025 Security Bulletin. Patches must be delivered through OEM and carrier firmware update channels. Track device vendor advisories to confirm availability for each affected platform.
Workarounds
- Disable Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) operation on devices that support it, where the deployment allows, to reduce EHT IE parsing exposure
- Restrict client devices to trusted SSIDs and enable Protected Management Frames (PMF) where supported to reduce exposure to rogue access points
- Operate critical devices on wired networks until firmware updates are deployed in high-risk wireless environments
# Example: verify Qualcomm Wi-Fi firmware build on a Linux/Android host
dumpsys wifi | grep -i "driver\|firmware"
# Or via the kernel log on Linux
dmesg | grep -iE "ath1[01]k|qca|wcn|eht"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
