CVE-2025-27074: Qualcomm Apq8064au Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2025-27074 Overview

CVE-2025-27074 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting a broad range of Qualcomm chipsets and firmware. The flaw occurs while processing a Global Platform (GP) command response, and is classified under CWE-131 (Incorrect Calculation of Buffer Size). Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Qualcomm published fixes as part of the November 2025 Security Bulletin.

Critical Impact
A local, low-privileged attacker can trigger memory corruption in Qualcomm firmware by supplying a crafted GP command response, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the affected component context.

Affected Products

Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms including Snapdragon 429, 820, 821, and Wear 4100+
Qualcomm networking and IPQ series such as ipq5010, ipq8074, ipq9574, and qca9984
Qualcomm connectivity and audio components including csr8811, wcd9335, wcn3980, and qca6574au

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-04 - CVE-2025-27074 published to NVD
November 2025 - Qualcomm publishes fix in the Qualcomm Security Bulletin November 2025
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27074

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Qualcomm firmware code that processes responses to Global Platform (GP) commands. GP commands are typically used to interact with secure element or trusted execution environment components on Qualcomm SoCs. When parsing an incoming GP command response, the affected code performs an incorrect buffer size calculation, allowing an attacker-controlled response to overflow or corrupt adjacent memory.

Because the vulnerable path executes in a privileged firmware context, memory corruption here can bypass user-space isolation. An attacker able to reach the GP command response handler through a local interface can influence firmware execution. The attack surface spans phones, wearables, automotive platforms, and networking devices that share the affected Qualcomm codebase.

Root Cause

The root cause is an incorrect buffer size calculation (CWE-131) during GP command response parsing. Length or offset fields inside the response are not validated against the destination buffer before data is copied, producing a boundary violation and memory corruption.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. An attacker with the ability to send GP command traffic to the affected component - for example through a compromised user-space process on the device - can deliver a malformed response and trigger memory corruption in the firmware.

No verified public code examples exist for this issue. Refer to the Qualcomm Security Bulletin November 2025 for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27074

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes, reboots, or kernel panics on devices using affected Qualcomm chipsets, particularly correlated with secure element or trusted application activity
Abnormal process behavior from user-space services that interact with GP command interfaces or trusted execution environment clients
Firmware or baseband logs showing malformed GP command response payloads

Detection Strategies

Inventory device fleets against the CPE list in the Qualcomm bulletin to identify unpatched hardware
Monitor mobile device management (MDM) telemetry for devices missing the November 2025 Qualcomm patch level
Correlate crash reports and abnormal terminations of privileged Qualcomm services with process activity from untrusted applications

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest device crash logs, MDM compliance reports, and firmware patch-level attestation into a centralized analytics pipeline
Track exploitation research and proof-of-concept publication for CVE-2025-27074 through vulnerability intelligence sources
Alert when devices fail to advance to the November 2025 or later Qualcomm security patch level within defined SLAs

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27074

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the vendor firmware updates referenced in the Qualcomm November 2025 Security Bulletin as they are delivered by OEMs and carriers
Identify all affected devices, IoT endpoints, and networking equipment using the CPE list and prioritize those exposed to untrusted local code
Restrict installation of untrusted applications on affected mobile and automotive platforms until patches are deployed

Patch Information

Qualcomm published patches in the Qualcomm Security Bulletin November 2025. Downstream OEMs and device vendors must integrate these fixes into their firmware release cycles. Verify patched build numbers against vendor advisories before considering a device remediated.

Workarounds

No official workaround is documented by Qualcomm; patching is the required remediation path
Limit local attack surface by enforcing application allowlists and disabling sideloading on affected mobile platforms
Segment IoT and networking devices running affected IPQ, QCN, and QCA firmware to reduce the ability of a local attacker to reach the vulnerable interface

bash

# Verify Android security patch level on affected devices via adb
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch

# Expected: 2025-11-01 or later after applying the November 2025 Qualcomm bulletin fixes