CVE-2025-27038: Qualcomm AR8031 Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27038 Overview

CVE-2025-27038 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting Qualcomm Adreno GPU drivers when rendering graphics in Chrome browser. This Use-After-Free (UAF) flaw occurs during graphics processing operations, allowing attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause system instability on affected devices. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets including popular Snapdragon mobile platforms, wearable platforms, and various connectivity and audio components.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges on affected Android devices and systems using Qualcomm Adreno GPUs.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G Mobile Platform
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 4G Mobile Platform (SM6225-AD)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform
• Qualcomm FastConnect 7800
• Qualcomm QCM8550 / QCS8550
• Qualcomm SM6475 / SM6650 / SM7435 / SM7635 series
• Qualcomm WCN3950 / WCN3980 / WCN3988 / WCN6650 / WCN6740 / WCN6755
• Various Qualcomm audio codecs (WCD9335-WCD9395, WSA8810-WSA8835)

Discovery Timeline

• June 3, 2025 - CVE-2025-27038 published to NVD
• October 27, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27038

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use-After-Free), a memory corruption issue where the application references memory after it has been freed. In the context of Qualcomm Adreno GPU drivers, this occurs during graphics rendering operations when Chrome browser interacts with the GPU driver. The attack requires network access and user interaction (such as visiting a malicious webpage), but the complexity is high due to the specific conditions required for successful exploitation.

The Use-After-Free condition can be triggered when malicious graphics content causes the driver to access a memory region that has already been deallocated. This creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the freed memory contents before reuse, potentially gaining control over program execution flow.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper memory management within the Qualcomm Adreno GPU driver during graphics rendering operations. When processing certain graphics commands through Chrome, the driver fails to properly track memory allocation states, leading to scenarios where freed memory is subsequently accessed. This can occur when:

1. A graphics buffer is allocated for rendering operations
2. The buffer is freed during a specific sequence of rendering commands
3. The driver attempts to reference the freed buffer without proper validation
4. An attacker can potentially control the contents of the reallocated memory region

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an attacker to craft malicious web content that triggers the vulnerable code path when rendered by Chrome browser on affected devices. The exploitation scenario typically involves:

1. Victim visits a malicious or compromised website on an Android device with vulnerable Qualcomm chipset
2. The webpage contains specially crafted WebGL or graphics content
3. Chrome's graphics rendering pipeline passes commands to the Adreno GPU driver
4. The malicious content triggers the Use-After-Free condition
5. Attacker-controlled data in the reallocated memory region can lead to code execution

Due to the nature of Use-After-Free vulnerabilities, successful exploitation often requires heap spraying techniques to reliably control the contents of the freed memory region. The fact that this vulnerability is listed in CISA's KEV catalog indicates active exploitation has been observed.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27038

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected Chrome browser crashes or system instability during web browsing sessions with WebGL content
• Anomalous GPU driver behavior including kernel panic messages related to Adreno driver components
• Signs of privilege escalation from Chrome renderer process or GPU process sandbox escape
• Suspicious memory access patterns in kernel logs related to GPU memory management
• Evidence of heap spray activity targeting GPU driver memory regions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Android kernel crashes (kmsg/dmesg logs) referencing Adreno GPU driver modules (adreno.ko, kgsl.ko)
• Implement endpoint detection for unusual Chrome renderer process behavior on affected mobile platforms
• Deploy network-based detection for known exploit payloads targeting this vulnerability
• Use mobile threat defense solutions capable of detecting GPU driver exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for GPU driver operations on devices under analysis
• Monitor for CISA KEV updates and threat intelligence feeds for emerging exploitation patterns
• Track device firmware versions against Qualcomm's security bulletin advisories
• Implement behavioral analysis for Chrome browser processes accessing GPU resources abnormally

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27038

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply vendor firmware updates from device manufacturers as they become available
• Ensure Chrome browser is updated to the latest version with applicable security patches
• Review CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog for compliance deadlines if applicable to your organization
• Consider restricting WebGL functionality in Chrome for high-risk environments until patched
• Prioritize patching for devices handling sensitive data or in critical infrastructure

Patch Information

Qualcomm has released security patches addressing this vulnerability as documented in the Qualcomm June 2025 Security Bulletin. Device manufacturers (OEMs) must integrate these patches into their firmware updates. End users should:

1. Check with device manufacturers for available security updates
2. Apply Android security patches that incorporate Qualcomm's fixes
3. Monitor OEM security bulletin pages for device-specific update availability

Workarounds

• Temporarily disable WebGL in Chrome browser settings (chrome://flags/#enable-webgl) to reduce attack surface until patches are applied
• Use alternative browsers that may not trigger the vulnerable code path (effectiveness varies)
• Implement network-level filtering for known malicious domains exploiting this vulnerability
• Consider using SentinelOne Mobile Threat Defense for real-time protection against active exploitation attempts
• Restrict browsing to trusted websites on affected devices in high-security environments

# Check current Android security patch level
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch

# Verify GPU driver module information
adb shell cat /proc/driver/adreno/gpu_model
adb shell lsmod | grep -i kgsl

# Check for Qualcomm chipset information
adb shell cat /sys/devices/soc0/soc_id