CVE-2025-47395: WLAN Management Frame DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47395 Overview

CVE-2025-47395 is a Denial of Service vulnerability affecting WLAN management frame parsing functionality. The vulnerability occurs when processing Vendor Specific Information Elements within WLAN management frames, leading to a transient denial of service condition. This flaw is classified as CWE-126 (Buffer Over-read), indicating that the vulnerability involves reading beyond the boundaries of allocated memory during frame parsing operations.

Critical Impact

An attacker within adjacent network range can cause a transient denial of service by sending specially crafted WLAN management frames containing malicious Vendor Specific Information Elements, disrupting wireless connectivity for affected devices.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm WLAN chipsets and drivers (refer to Qualcomm Security Bulletin for specific affected products)
• Devices utilizing affected Qualcomm WLAN firmware components
• Systems with vulnerable WLAN management frame parsing implementations

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-07 - CVE-2025-47395 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47395

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a buffer over-read condition (CWE-126) in the WLAN management frame parsing logic. When the affected component processes incoming WLAN management frames containing Vendor Specific Information Elements, improper bounds checking allows the parser to read beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.

The flaw can be exploited by an attacker positioned within adjacent network range (such as within Wi-Fi signal reach) without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The attack results in availability impact only, with no effect on confidentiality or integrity of the system.

The transient nature of this denial of service means the affected device experiences temporary disruption rather than permanent compromise. However, repeated exploitation could cause sustained service interruption for wireless connectivity.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from insufficient input validation when parsing the length and content fields of Vendor Specific Information Elements within WLAN 802.11 management frames. The parser fails to properly validate that the declared element length matches the actual available data, allowing a buffer over-read condition when processing malformed frames.

This type of vulnerability commonly occurs when:

• Length fields in protocol headers are trusted without verification
• Boundary checks do not account for malformed or truncated packets
• Parser state does not properly track remaining buffer size during iteration

Attack Vector

The attack requires the adversary to be within adjacent network proximity to the target device, typically meaning within wireless transmission range. The attacker crafts malicious WLAN management frames with specially constructed Vendor Specific Information Elements designed to trigger the buffer over-read condition.

Since WLAN management frames are processed at a low level by the wireless subsystem, often before higher-level security mechanisms can intervene, the vulnerability can be exploited without prior authentication to the wireless network. The attacker sends the malformed frame over the air, and the vulnerable parsing code processes it, leading to the denial of service condition.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47395

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected wireless interface disconnections or resets on affected devices
• Increased frequency of WLAN driver errors or exceptions in system logs
• Anomalous WLAN management frames detected on the network with malformed Vendor Specific Information Elements
• Device instability correlating with wireless activity from unknown sources

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for WLAN driver crashes, restarts, or error conditions that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement wireless intrusion detection systems (WIDS) to identify malformed 802.11 management frames
• Deploy network monitoring to detect unusual patterns in WLAN management frame traffic
• Track device stability metrics to identify patterns consistent with DoS exploitation

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on wireless subsystems to capture management frame processing errors
• Configure alerts for repeated wireless interface resets or driver exceptions
• Implement WLAN traffic analysis to baseline normal management frame patterns and detect anomalies
• Monitor for unusual wireless client behavior such as repeated association attempts or deauthentication sequences

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47395

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Qualcomm January 2026 Security Bulletin for affected products and available patches
• Identify all devices in your environment using affected Qualcomm WLAN components
• Prioritize firmware and driver updates for devices in high-security or high-availability environments
• Consider physical security measures to limit unauthorized adjacent network access where applicable

Patch Information

Qualcomm has addressed this vulnerability in their January 2026 Security Bulletin. Organizations should consult the Qualcomm January 2026 Security Bulletin for specific patch availability and affected product details.

Device manufacturers incorporating affected Qualcomm WLAN components should check with Qualcomm for updated firmware packages. End users should apply firmware updates from their device manufacturers as they become available through normal update channels.

Workarounds

• Limit physical access to areas where affected wireless devices operate to reduce adjacent network attack surface
• Where possible, implement additional network segmentation to isolate critical wireless infrastructure
• Consider temporarily disabling wireless functionality on critical systems if patches are not yet available and the risk is deemed unacceptable
• Deploy wireless intrusion prevention systems (WIPS) capable of detecting and blocking malformed management frames