CVE-2025-27061 Overview
CVE-2025-27061 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting a broad range of Qualcomm chipsets and firmware. The flaw occurs while handling subsystem failure memory during the parsing of video packets received from the video firmware. Qualcomm disclosed the issue in its July 2025 Security Bulletin. The weakness is classified as an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] and is exploitable from a local context with low privileges. Affected products span Snapdragon mobile platforms, automotive SoCs, IoT chipsets, FastConnect connectivity modules, and networking firmware.
Critical Impact
A local attacker with low privileges can corrupt memory during video subsystem failure handling, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected device.
Affected Products
- Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2/3, 8+ Gen 1/2, 888, 865, 855, and others)
- Qualcomm automotive and robotics platforms (SA8155P, SA8295P, SA8775P, QCS8300, Flight RB5 5G, Robotics RB2/RB5)
- Qualcomm networking, IoT, and connectivity firmware (IPQ, QCN, QCA, FastConnect, WCN, and WSA series)
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-27061 published to NVD
- July 2025 - Qualcomm publishes security bulletin with patch information
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-27061
Vulnerability Analysis
The defect resides in the code path that handles subsystem failure memory while parsing video packets received from the video firmware. When the video subsystem enters a failure state, the driver processes queued or in-flight packet data as part of its recovery logic. Insufficient validation of packet fields or memory boundaries during this failure-handling routine leads to a memory corruption condition. Because the video subsystem operates with elevated kernel or driver privileges, corruption in this path can be leveraged to escalate privileges, execute arbitrary code, or crash the device.
Root Cause
The root cause is an out-of-bounds write [CWE-787] triggered during the parsing of video firmware packets in the subsystem failure recovery code. The affected routine does not correctly validate packet length, structure, or memory bounds before writing data into driver-managed buffers. When the video firmware signals a failure event and the driver ingests packets to reconstruct or clean up state, malformed or attacker-controlled packet content overflows the destination buffer.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges on the target device. An attacker with the ability to interact with the video driver interface, for example through a malicious Android application holding standard media permissions, can craft input that triggers the subsystem failure path. Once the failure handler executes, corrupted memory can be used to influence control flow within kernel or driver context. User interaction is not required, and no network reachability is needed. Successful exploitation results in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available. See the Qualcomm July 2025 Security Bulletin for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27061
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes, panics, or reboots referencing the video subsystem or video firmware components in kernel logs
- Repeated video subsystem failure or restart events (ssr / subsystem restart entries) preceding process termination or privilege changes
- Installation or execution of untrusted applications that request access to media codec or video hardware interfaces immediately before crash events
Detection Strategies
- Monitor device logs (logcat, dmesg, ramoops) for anomalous video driver stack traces and out-of-bounds write signatures
- Correlate application launches with subsequent video subsystem restarts to identify processes that consistently trigger failure handlers
- Track firmware and patch level attributes across the fleet to identify devices still exposed to the July 2025 Qualcomm advisory
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enroll affected mobile, automotive, and IoT devices in a mobile threat defense or endpoint telemetry program that surfaces kernel crash and driver anomaly data
- Aggregate device patch-level attestation into a central data store to identify unpatched Snapdragon and QCA firmware
- Alert on installation of applications from untrusted sources on devices running vulnerable firmware baselines
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27061
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the vendor firmware update referenced in the Qualcomm July 2025 Security Bulletin as soon as OEM releases become available
- Inventory all devices containing affected Snapdragon, QCA, IPQ, QCN, WCN, and FastConnect components and prioritize patch deployment
- Restrict installation of untrusted applications on affected mobile and IoT devices until firmware updates are applied
Patch Information
Qualcomm has released fixes as part of the July 2025 security bulletin. Downstream availability depends on device OEMs and carriers, who must integrate the updated firmware into their monthly security patch level (SPL) releases. Verify the device SPL matches or exceeds the July 2025 patch level after updates are installed. For automotive, IoT, and networking products, coordinate with the platform integrator to obtain the corresponding firmware image.
Workarounds
- Limit exposure by disallowing untrusted application installation and enforcing application allowlisting on managed devices
- Reduce local attack surface by removing unused media and video processing applications on IoT and embedded deployments
- Where feasible, isolate affected automotive and industrial devices from user-controlled software channels until patched firmware is available
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
