CVE-2025-47336: Sensor Register Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47336 Overview

CVE-2025-47336 is a Use After Free (CWE-416) memory corruption vulnerability that occurs during sensor register read operations. This vulnerability affects Qualcomm components and could allow a local attacker with high privileges to achieve code execution or cause system instability through memory corruption.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with high privileges can exploit this memory corruption vulnerability to potentially achieve arbitrary code execution, compromise data confidentiality and integrity, or cause denial of service conditions on affected Qualcomm devices.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm chipsets and components (see Qualcomm Security Bulletin for full list)
• Devices utilizing affected Qualcomm sensor drivers
• Systems with vulnerable sensor register read functionality

Discovery Timeline

• January 7, 2026 - CVE-2025-47336 published to NVD
• January 8, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47336

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as a Use After Free (UAF) memory corruption issue affecting sensor register read operations in Qualcomm components. UAF vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior including crashes, data corruption, or arbitrary code execution.

In this case, the flaw manifests during sensor register read operations where memory references may be accessed after deallocation. While the attack requires local access and high privileges, successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

The local attack vector means an attacker would need some level of access to the target device, potentially through a malicious application or by chaining this vulnerability with other exploits to gain initial access.

Root Cause

The root cause is a Use After Free (CWE-416) condition in the sensor register read operation code path. This occurs when memory that has been previously freed is subsequently accessed during sensor data reading operations. The vulnerable code fails to properly track memory allocation state, allowing dangling pointer references that can be exploited.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the affected device with high privileges. An attacker could potentially:

1. Trigger a sensor register read operation that accesses previously freed memory
2. Manipulate the contents of the freed memory region before it is accessed
3. Leverage the corrupted memory state to achieve code execution or escalate privileges

The vulnerability mechanism involves improper memory management during sensor register read operations. When the sensor driver performs read operations, it may access memory references that have already been deallocated, leading to use of stale pointers. For complete technical details on the vulnerability mechanics, refer to the Qualcomm Security Bulletin January 2026.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47336

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected system crashes or kernel panics related to sensor driver operations
• Anomalous memory access patterns or heap corruption indicators in system logs
• Unusual sensor driver behavior or error messages during register read operations
• Signs of privilege escalation attempts on affected devices

Detection Strategies

• Monitor kernel logs for memory corruption errors related to sensor subsystem components
• Implement runtime memory safety tools to detect use-after-free conditions
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying memory corruption exploitation attempts
• Analyze system behavior for anomalous sensor driver activity patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for sensor driver operations on Qualcomm-based systems
• Configure alerts for kernel memory corruption exceptions and crashes
• Monitor for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts on affected devices
• Implement memory integrity monitoring on critical systems utilizing Qualcomm components

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47336

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Qualcomm Security Bulletin January 2026 for affected product versions
• Apply security patches from device manufacturers as they become available
• Limit local access and high-privilege accounts on affected systems
• Implement application allow-listing to prevent unauthorized code execution
• Monitor affected systems for exploitation attempts until patches are applied

Patch Information

Qualcomm has addressed this vulnerability in their January 2026 Security Bulletin. Device manufacturers and OEMs should integrate the provided fixes into their firmware updates. End users should apply security updates from their device manufacturers as they become available through normal update channels.

For detailed patch information and affected chipset listings, refer to the Qualcomm Security Bulletin January 2026.

Workarounds

• Restrict local access to affected devices to trusted users only
• Minimize the number of high-privilege accounts on affected systems
• Implement application sandboxing to limit the impact of potential exploitation
• Consider disabling or restricting access to sensor functionality if not required for business operations
• Apply network segmentation to isolate potentially vulnerable devices

# Configuration example
# Verify current firmware version on Android devices
adb shell getprop ro.build.fingerprint
# Check for available system updates
adb shell pm list packages -f | grep -i qualcomm
# Review system logs for sensor-related errors
adb logcat | grep -i "sensor\|memory\|corruption"