CVE-2025-47396: Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47396 Overview

CVE-2025-47396 is a memory corruption vulnerability that occurs when a secure application is launched on a device with insufficient memory. This vulnerability, classified as CWE-415 (Double Free), affects Qualcomm products and can be exploited locally by an attacker with low privileges to achieve high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit insufficient memory conditions during secure application launch to trigger memory corruption, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

Affected Products

• Qualcomm chipsets and related firmware (specific products detailed in vendor advisory)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-07 - CVE CVE-2025-47396 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47396

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from a Double Free condition (CWE-415) in the handling of secure application launches. When a device operating under memory pressure attempts to launch a secure application, the memory management routines improperly handle allocation failures, leading to the same memory region being freed twice.

Double Free vulnerabilities occur when free() or an equivalent memory deallocation function is called more than once on the same memory address without an intervening allocation. This can corrupt the memory allocator's internal data structures, potentially allowing an attacker to manipulate heap metadata and gain control over program execution.

The local attack vector requires an attacker to have prior access to the target system with low-level privileges. The exploitation does not require user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where attackers have already established a foothold on the device.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper memory management in the secure application launch pathway when the device is operating with insufficient available memory. Specifically, error handling code paths during memory allocation failures do not properly track the allocation state, leading to a Double Free condition when cleanup routines attempt to release resources that have already been freed.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the target device. An attacker with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Creating memory pressure conditions on the target device
2. Triggering the launch of a secure application during the constrained memory state
3. Exploiting the Double Free condition to corrupt heap metadata
4. Leveraging heap corruption to achieve arbitrary code execution or escalate privileges

The vulnerability allows attackers to potentially bypass security boundaries established by the secure application framework, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47396

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected system crashes or reboots during secure application launches
• Abnormal memory consumption patterns preceding application failures
• Evidence of heap corruption in crash dumps or system logs
• Unusual process behavior following failed secure application launches

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for abnormal memory pressure conditions coinciding with secure application launch attempts
• Implement heap integrity checking and canary-based detection mechanisms
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect memory corruption attempts
• Review system logs for patterns indicating exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for secure application launch events
• Monitor memory allocation and deallocation patterns in security-critical processes
• Implement alerting for unusual heap behavior or memory management anomalies
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting memory corruption attacks

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47396

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Qualcomm Security Bulletin January 2026 for affected products and available patches
• Apply firmware and software updates from Qualcomm as soon as they become available
• Limit local access to affected devices to reduce attack surface
• Implement additional monitoring for suspicious memory-related activities

Patch Information

Qualcomm has addressed this vulnerability in their January 2026 security bulletin. Administrators should consult the Qualcomm Security Bulletin January 2026 for detailed patch information, affected chipsets, and update procedures. Contact your device manufacturer for specific firmware update availability.

Workarounds

• Ensure devices maintain adequate free memory to reduce the likelihood of triggering the vulnerable code path
• Restrict local access privileges to minimize potential attacker footholds
• Implement process isolation and sandboxing where possible to limit impact of successful exploitation
• Consider disabling non-essential secure applications until patches can be applied