CVE-2025-47378: Qualcomm Cologne Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-47378 Overview

CVE-2025-47378 is a cryptographic flaw in Qualcomm firmware that allows the High-Level Operating System (HLOS) to reach the boot loader and access the certificate chain through a shared Virtual Machine (VM) reference. The weakness is classified under CWE-497: Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere. It affects a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets, including Snapdragon mobile platforms, FastConnect connectivity products, and automotive components.

A locally authenticated attacker can leverage this flaw to compromise the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive boot-time cryptographic material. Qualcomm published the fix in its March 2026 Security Bulletin.

Critical Impact

A local attacker with low privileges can access boot loader certificate chain data through an improperly scoped shared VM reference, undermining the cryptographic trust anchor of the device.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms including Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Snapdragon 865/865+/870 5G, Snapdragon AR1/AR1+ Gen 1, and Snapdragon XR2/XR2+ Gen 1
• Qualcomm FastConnect connectivity products (FastConnect 6700, 6800, 6900, 7800) and QCA Wi-Fi/Bluetooth components (QCA6391, QCA6595, QCA6696, QCA6698AQ, QCA6797AQ)
• Qualcomm automotive and compute platforms (SA7255P, SA7775P, SA8255P, SA8620P, SA8770P, SA9000P, QAM8255P, SRV1H/SRV1M) and audio/RF components (WCD9380/9385/9395, WSA88xx series)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-02 - CVE-2025-47378 published to NVD
• 2026-03-02 - Qualcomm publishes March 2026 Security Bulletin with patch information
• 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47378

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how Qualcomm firmware manages shared VM references between the High-Level Operating System and the boot loader. A shared VM reference is intended to facilitate controlled, scoped communication between virtualization domains. In affected firmware, this reference exposes boot loader memory regions that hold the device certificate chain to the HLOS.

The certificate chain anchors the secure boot trust model. When the HLOS can read it through a shared mapping, an attacker operating from a privileged user-space context inside the HLOS can extract cryptographic identity material. This breaks the isolation expected between the rich execution environment and the secure boot loader.

The issue also permits modification paths through the same shared mapping, which is why the integrity impact is rated alongside confidentiality. Availability is not affected because the flaw exposes data rather than corrupting execution.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper isolation of sensitive system information across virtualization boundaries. The firmware allocates a shared VM reference that is reachable by HLOS code but contains pointers or mappings to boot loader data structures, including the certificate chain. Access control on the shared region is too permissive for the sensitivity of the data exposed, which aligns with the CWE-497 classification.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. An attacker who has already achieved code execution within the HLOS, such as through a compromised application or a kernel-resident component, queries the shared VM reference to read certificate chain bytes from the boot loader region. The retrieved material can then be used to forge trust decisions, replay boot artifacts, or facilitate downstream attacks against secure boot or attestation logic. No verified public exploit code or proof of concept has been published for this issue.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47378

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected HLOS processes opening, mapping, or reading shared VM reference handles associated with boot loader memory regions
• Anomalous extraction or duplication of certificate chain blobs in HLOS user-space or kernel logs
• Firmware versions that do not match the patched builds listed in the Qualcomm March 2026 Security Bulletin

Detection Strategies

• Inventory Qualcomm-based devices using vendor and product identifiers from the affected CPE list, then compare installed firmware against the patched versions published by the OEM
• Monitor kernel and hypervisor logs for access attempts to shared VM mappings that should be restricted to boot loader contexts
• Correlate privileged process behavior on mobile, automotive, and XR endpoints to detect attempts to enumerate or read cryptographic material outside expected workflows

Monitoring Recommendations

• Track OEM firmware bulletin releases that incorporate the Qualcomm March 2026 patch and validate field deployment status
• Enable platform attestation features where supported and alert on attestation failures that may indicate certificate chain tampering
• Centralize device telemetry from mobile and automotive fleets to identify outliers consistent with privilege escalation precursors

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47378

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply OEM firmware updates that incorporate the fix from the Qualcomm March 2026 Security Bulletin as soon as they are released for your device model
• Identify all Qualcomm-based assets that match the affected chipset list and prioritize patching for devices that process sensitive workloads
• Restrict installation of untrusted applications and enforce least-privilege controls on the HLOS to reduce the local code execution prerequisite

Patch Information

Qualcomm has published patches addressing CVE-2025-47378 in the March 2026 Security Bulletin. Patch availability for end-user devices depends on the OEM and carrier integration cycle. Administrators should consult device manufacturer release notes to confirm that the March 2026 Qualcomm patch level has been applied.

Workarounds

• No vendor-approved workaround substitutes for the firmware update; the cryptographic exposure is structural to the shared VM reference
• Limit local code execution opportunities by enforcing application allow-listing, mobile device management policies, and verified-boot enforcement until patches are deployed
• For automotive and embedded deployments, isolate affected components on dedicated network segments and disable non-essential local interfaces to reduce attack surface

# Example: verifying Qualcomm security patch level on Android-based devices
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
adb shell getprop ro.vendor.build.security_patch
# Confirm the reported patch level reflects the OEM build that incorporates
# the Qualcomm March 2026 bulletin fix for CVE-2025-47378