CVE-2025-47386: Qualcomm AR8031 Race Condition Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47386 Overview

CVE-2025-47386 is a Use-After-Free memory corruption vulnerability affecting a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets and firmware. The vulnerability occurs when IOCTL (Input/Output Control) calls are invoked while concurrent access to a shared buffer takes place. This race condition can lead to memory corruption, potentially allowing an attacker with local access to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause system instability.

Critical Impact

This Use-After-Free vulnerability in Qualcomm firmware can enable local attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation by exploiting race conditions during IOCTL operations, affecting mobile devices, automotive systems, IoT platforms, and wireless connectivity components.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platforms (4 Gen 1, 460, 480/480+ 5G, 6 Gen 4, 660, 662, 680/685 4G, 690/695 5G, 778G/778G+ 5G, 782G, 7s Gen 3, 8 Gen 2/3, 8+ Gen 2, 865/865+ 5G, 870 5G, 888/888+ 5G)
• Qualcomm FastConnect Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Chips (6200, 6700, 6800, 6900, 7800)
• Qualcomm Automotive Platforms (SA4150P, SA4155P, SA6145P, SA6150P, SA6155P, SA7255P, SA7775P, SA8145P, SA8150P, SA8155P, SA8195P, SA8255P, SA8295P, SA8620P, SA8770P, SA9000P, LemansAU)
• Qualcomm Modem-RF Systems (Snapdragon X12 LTE, X32/X35/X53/X55/X72/X75 5G, Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 1/2)
• Qualcomm Robotics Platforms (RB2, RB5, Flight RB5 5G)
• Qualcomm Wearable/XR Platforms (W5+ Gen 1, XR2 5G, XR2+ Gen 1)
• Qualcomm Audio Codecs (WCD9326, WCD9335, WCD9340, WCD9341, WCD9370-9395, WSA8810-WSA8845H)
• Qualcomm Wireless Connectivity (WCN3615, WCN3660B, WCN3680B, WCN3910, WCN3950, WCN3980, WCN3988, WCN3990, WCN6450, WCN6650, WCN6755, QCA series)

Discovery Timeline

• March 2, 2026 - CVE-2025-47386 published to NVD
• March 5, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47386

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a critical memory safety issue that occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it references has been freed. In the context of CVE-2025-47386, the issue manifests during IOCTL operations when multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared buffer resources concurrently.

The attack requires local access to the vulnerable system, meaning an attacker must either have physical access to the device or have already gained some level of code execution capability (such as through a malicious application). Once positioned, the attacker can trigger the race condition to corrupt memory in a controlled manner, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.

The impact scope is significant given the breadth of affected Qualcomm products, spanning mobile smartphones, automotive infotainment systems, IoT devices, robotics platforms, wearables, and wireless connectivity modules. Successful exploitation could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper synchronization mechanisms when handling concurrent access to shared memory buffers during IOCTL operations. Specifically:

1. A shared buffer is allocated and used during an IOCTL call
2. The buffer is freed by one execution context
3. A concurrent execution context (racing thread) continues to access the freed memory
4. The dangling pointer reference results in Use-After-Free condition

This classic race condition indicates a lack of proper locking primitives or reference counting mechanisms to ensure memory remains valid while in use by multiple contexts.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-47386 is local, requiring the attacker to have some form of access to the target device. The exploitation scenario typically involves:

1. Initial Access: Attacker gains code execution on the device, potentially through a malicious application or by exploiting another vulnerability
2. Race Condition Triggering: The attacker crafts specific IOCTL calls designed to create a timing window where concurrent buffer access occurs
3. Memory Corruption: By winning the race condition, the attacker causes the system to access freed memory
4. Exploitation: The attacker manipulates the freed memory region to redirect execution flow or overwrite critical data structures

The attack does not require user interaction and can be executed with low privileges, though it requires local access to the system. Given the firmware-level nature of the vulnerability, exploitation could potentially bypass higher-level operating system security controls.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47386

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected system crashes or kernel panics related to memory corruption in driver components
• Anomalous IOCTL call patterns with unusually high frequency or concurrent execution
• Memory access violations or segmentation faults in Qualcomm-related driver modules
• Unusual process behavior indicating potential privilege escalation attempts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for kernel oops or panic messages referencing Qualcomm driver components
• Implement runtime memory protection mechanisms to detect Use-After-Free conditions
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying anomalous driver-level activity
• Use hardware security features where available to detect memory corruption attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for driver and kernel-level operations on affected devices
• Monitor for unusual application behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement behavioral analysis to detect race condition exploitation patterns
• Establish baseline firmware versions and monitor for unauthorized modifications

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47386

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Qualcomm March 2026 Security Bulletin for device-specific guidance
• Apply firmware updates from device OEMs as they become available
• Limit installation of untrusted applications on affected devices
• Implement device management policies to restrict local access where possible

Patch Information

Qualcomm has addressed this vulnerability in their March 2026 security bulletin. Organizations should consult their device manufacturers (OEMs) for specific firmware updates, as patch deployment typically flows from Qualcomm to OEMs who then distribute updates to end users. The security bulletin provides detailed information about affected chipsets and remediation guidance.

For enterprise environments, coordinate with mobile device management (MDM) solutions to ensure affected devices receive and apply firmware updates promptly. Given the extensive list of affected products spanning mobile, automotive, IoT, and wearable platforms, a comprehensive inventory of Qualcomm-based devices is essential for effective patch management.

Workarounds

• Restrict device access to trusted users and applications only
• Enable application sandboxing and isolation features where available
• Implement network segmentation for IoT and automotive systems to limit attack surface
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions that can detect exploitation attempts at runtime

# Example: Check Android device for Qualcomm chipset and security patch level
# Run via ADB shell to verify current patch status
adb shell getprop ro.board.platform
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch