CVE-2026-25288: Wireless Network DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25288 Overview

CVE-2026-25288 is a transient denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability affecting Qualcomm components that handle Wi-Fi target wake time (TWT) frames. The flaw occurs when the affected component processes a short TWT channel usage response frame whose packet size is insufficient for the fields the parser expects to read. This results in an out-of-bounds read [CWE-126] that disrupts the wireless subsystem. The issue is disclosed in the Qualcomm August 2026 Security Bulletin.

Critical Impact
An adjacent-network attacker can transmit a malformed TWT channel usage response frame to trigger a transient DoS in the wireless subsystem, disrupting connectivity for affected devices without authentication or user interaction.

Affected Products

Qualcomm chipsets and platforms listed in the Qualcomm August 2026 Security Bulletin
Wi-Fi firmware components that implement TWT channel usage response frame parsing
Downstream OEM devices that integrate the affected Qualcomm Wi-Fi stack

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-04 - CVE-2026-25288 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-08-04 - Qualcomm August 2026 Security Bulletin published
2026-08-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25288

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read during parsing of a target wake time (TWT) channel usage response frame. TWT is an IEEE 802.11ax feature that lets stations and access points negotiate wake schedules to save power. The response frame carries channel usage information used to coordinate wake windows.

When the affected Qualcomm Wi-Fi component receives a TWT channel usage response frame, it reads fields from the frame buffer without adequately validating that the received packet is long enough to contain them. A short frame causes the parser to read past the end of the allocated packet buffer. This triggers a transient DoS condition in the wireless subsystem, interrupting Wi-Fi service on the target device.

The integrity and confidentiality of user data are not affected, but availability of the wireless interface is impacted until the subsystem recovers or restarts. The scope is changed because a single vulnerable radio can affect connected clients relying on it.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing length validation in the TWT channel usage response frame handler. The code assumes the frame contains a minimum set of fields and reads them by offset without first checking that the received packet length covers those offsets. This maps directly to [CWE-126] Buffer Over-read.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires adjacent-network access. The attacker must be within radio range of the target and able to transmit 802.11 management or action frames that the target parses as a TWT channel usage response. No authentication or user interaction is required. The attacker crafts a TWT channel usage response frame that is shorter than the parser expects and transmits it to the target, causing the transient DoS.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available for CVE-2026-25288 at the time of publication, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25288

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Wi-Fi driver or firmware crashes and restarts on affected Qualcomm-based devices
Repeated short-duration wireless disconnects affecting one device or a group of clients on the same access point
Kernel or firmware logs referencing TWT frame handling, channel usage response parsing, or WLAN subsystem watchdog resets

Detection Strategies

Monitor endpoint and mobile device telemetry for wireless subsystem crash events and correlated reconnect storms.
Inspect over-the-air captures for malformed 802.11 TWT action frames with lengths below the specification minimum for a channel usage response.
Correlate device-level Wi-Fi outages with the presence of nearby untrusted radios or unmanaged clients.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest mobile device management (MDM) and endpoint logs into a central SIEM to identify clusters of Wi-Fi driver faults across a site.
Track OEM firmware and Android security patch level (SPL) versions on managed devices to identify unpatched exposure.
Alert on wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) events flagging malformed 802.11ax TWT frames near sensitive locations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25288

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the OEM firmware or Android security update that incorporates the fixes referenced in the Qualcomm August 2026 Security Bulletin.
Inventory devices using affected Qualcomm Wi-Fi chipsets and prioritize patch deployment for mobile, IoT, and networking equipment.
Restrict use of unpatched devices in untrusted radio environments such as public venues.

Patch Information

Qualcomm has published fixes as part of the Qualcomm August 2026 Security Bulletin. Device availability depends on OEM integration schedules. Administrators should track vendor advisories from device manufacturers that consume Qualcomm Wi-Fi firmware and apply the resulting security patch levels.

Workarounds

Where supported, disable target wake time (TWT) on affected clients or access points until firmware updates are applied.
Prefer trusted, managed wireless networks and avoid connecting affected devices to open or untrusted Wi-Fi.
Deploy WIDS/WIPS controls to detect and drop malformed 802.11ax TWT action frames at the wireless edge.

bash

# Example: check Android security patch level on a managed device via adb
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch