CVE-2025-27065: Qualcomm AR8035 Firmware DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27065 Overview

CVE-2025-27065 is a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting numerous Qualcomm chipsets and firmware components. The vulnerability occurs during the processing of network frames containing malformed shared-key descriptors, resulting in a transient denial-of-service condition. This vulnerability stems from a buffer over-read condition (CWE-126) in the frame processing logic, where the system reads data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries when handling improperly formatted cryptographic key descriptors.

The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network, requiring no user interaction or special privileges, making it particularly concerning for devices exposed to untrusted network environments. The wide range of affected products includes mobile platforms, automotive systems, IoT devices, Wi-Fi modules, and networking equipment.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can cause service disruption on affected Qualcomm-powered devices by sending specially crafted network frames with malformed shared-key descriptors, potentially impacting mobile devices, automotive systems, and networking infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2/3 Mobile Platforms
• Qualcomm FastConnect 6800/6900/7800 Wi-Fi modules
• Qualcomm IPQ series networking processors (IPQ5300, IPQ9574, etc.)
• Qualcomm WCN series Wi-Fi chipsets (WCN6450, WCN7750, WCN7880, etc.)
• Qualcomm QCA series connectivity solutions (QCA6574, QCA6696, QCA8337, etc.)
• Qualcomm Automotive platforms (SA8255P, SA8775P, QAM8255P, etc.)
• Qualcomm AR/XR platforms (Snapdragon AR1/AR2 Gen 1, Snapdragon XR2 5G)

Discovery Timeline

• August 6, 2025 - CVE-2025-27065 published to NVD
• August 20, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27065

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists in the frame processing logic of affected Qualcomm firmware components. When the system receives a network frame containing a shared-key descriptor, it attempts to parse and validate the cryptographic key information. However, the parsing routine fails to properly validate the length and boundaries of the descriptor data before reading it into memory.

The root cause is classified as CWE-126 (Buffer Over-read), indicating that the vulnerable code reads data beyond the intended buffer boundaries. In the context of network frame processing, this occurs when a malformed shared-key descriptor specifies an incorrect length or contains truncated data, causing the parser to read beyond the actual data present in the frame.

The network-based attack vector means that an attacker can trigger this vulnerability remotely without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The transient nature of the denial-of-service indicates that the affected device or service becomes temporarily unavailable but typically recovers after the malicious traffic stops or the system restarts.

Root Cause

The vulnerability originates from insufficient input validation in the shared-key descriptor parsing function. When processing authentication or key-exchange frames in wireless communications, the firmware expects certain data structures to conform to protocol specifications. The vulnerable code path does not adequately verify that the received descriptor length matches the actual data available in the buffer, leading to an out-of-bounds read condition when malformed data is encountered.

This type of vulnerability is common in low-level firmware implementations where performance optimizations may inadvertently skip boundary checks, or where legacy code assumes protocol-compliant input without proper defensive programming practices.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted network frames to a vulnerable device. The attack requires network adjacency (for wireless attacks) or the ability to route malicious traffic to the target device. The malformed frames must contain shared-key descriptors with invalid length fields or truncated data that triggers the buffer over-read condition.

The exploitation does not require authentication or elevated privileges, and the attack can be conducted without any user interaction on the target device. While the primary impact is availability (denial of service), the transient nature suggests that devices may recover automatically, though sustained attacks could maintain the denial-of-service condition.

Given the diversity of affected products spanning mobile devices, automotive systems, IoT equipment, and networking infrastructure, the attack surface is substantial across multiple industry verticals.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27065

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected device reboots or Wi-Fi/connectivity module crashes
• System logs indicating frame processing errors or memory access violations in wireless subsystems
• Abnormal network traffic patterns with malformed 802.11 authentication or association frames
• Kernel panic events or watchdog timer resets attributed to wireless driver components

Detection Strategies

• Monitor wireless interface logs for repeated authentication failures or frame parsing errors
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify malformed 802.11 management frames with invalid key descriptor lengths
• Deploy endpoint monitoring to track unexpected firmware component restarts or crash dumps
• Review system stability metrics for patterns indicating denial-of-service conditions affecting wireless connectivity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for wireless drivers and firmware components where supported
• Configure alerting for repeated device disconnections or connectivity module failures
• Implement network traffic analysis to detect anomalous frame patterns targeting Wi-Fi authentication protocols
• Monitor device health metrics through SentinelOne Singularity platform for endpoint stability indicators

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27065

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply firmware updates from device manufacturers that incorporate Qualcomm's security patches
• Review affected device inventory to identify all Qualcomm-powered equipment in the environment
• Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to untrusted networks
• Enable additional monitoring and logging on critical systems using affected chipsets

Patch Information

Qualcomm has disclosed this vulnerability in their August 2025 Security Bulletin. Organizations should contact their device manufacturers (OEMs) for specific firmware updates, as Qualcomm provides fixes through their chipset firmware which is then integrated by device vendors.

The patch timeline varies by device manufacturer, so organizations should:

1. Review the Qualcomm security bulletin for technical details
2. Contact device vendors for availability of patched firmware
3. Prioritize updates for devices exposed to untrusted network environments
4. Plan update cycles for embedded systems and IoT devices that may require scheduled maintenance windows

Workarounds

• Implement wireless intrusion prevention systems (WIPS) to detect and block malformed authentication frames
• Use network access control to restrict connectivity to trusted devices only in sensitive environments
• Consider disabling unused wireless interfaces on affected devices where feasible
• Deploy dedicated security monitoring for automotive and IoT deployments using affected Qualcomm platforms

# Example: Monitor wireless interface for errors (Linux-based systems)
# Check for authentication/association failures in system logs
journalctl -k | grep -i "wlan\|wifi\|auth\|assoc" | tail -100

# Monitor dmesg for wireless driver errors
dmesg | grep -i "qca\|wcn\|ath\|wlan" | grep -i "error\|fail\|crash"