CVE-2026-25293 Overview
CVE-2026-25293 is a buffer overflow vulnerability caused by incorrect authorization in Qualcomm QCA7005 Power Line Communication (PLC) firmware. The flaw is tracked under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization and is exploitable over the network without authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation leads to compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected devices. Qualcomm published the issue in its May 2026 Security Bulletin.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can trigger a buffer overflow in the QCA7005 PLC firmware, enabling arbitrary code execution and full device takeover.
Affected Products
- Qualcomm QCA7005 (hardware)
- Qualcomm QCA7005 Firmware
- Devices integrating the QCA7005 HomePlug Green PHY PLC chipset
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-05-04 - CVE-2026-25293 published to NVD
- 2026-05-04 - Qualcomm publishes May 2026 Security Bulletin disclosing the issue
- 2026-05-06 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-25293
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the QCA7005 PLC firmware, a chipset commonly used for HomePlug Green PHY communication in automotive electric vehicle charging, smart grid, and home networking applications. The firmware fails to enforce proper authorization checks before processing certain inbound requests. This authorization gap is paired with an unbounded write into a fixed-size buffer, producing a classic memory corruption primitive reachable from the network.
Because the PLC interface is exposed over the powerline medium, any device sharing the powerline segment can reach the vulnerable code path. Attackers do not need credentials, prior access, or user interaction. Exploitation can corrupt adjacent memory, hijack control flow, and execute attacker-controlled code in the firmware context.
Root Cause
The root cause is a combination of CWE-863 (incorrect authorization) and an unchecked length copy. The firmware accepts and processes a network-supplied message without verifying that the requester is permitted to invoke the operation, then copies attacker-influenced data into a stack or heap buffer without validating the source length against the destination size.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based with low complexity and no privileges required. An attacker on the same powerline segment, or with access to a connected EV charging or smart-grid network, sends a crafted PLC frame to the QCA7005. The malformed payload bypasses authorization gating and overflows the target buffer, allowing the attacker to overwrite control data and execute arbitrary firmware-level code.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Qualcomm May 2026 Security Bulletin for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25293
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected reboots, crashes, or watchdog resets on devices using the QCA7005 chipset.
- Anomalous PLC traffic volumes or oversized HomePlug management messages on the powerline segment.
- New or unexpected outbound connections originating from EV chargers, smart meters, or gateways embedding QCA7005.
- Firmware integrity mismatches against the vendor-signed baseline image.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor PLC management frames for malformed length fields and oversized payloads at the gateway or head-end.
- Baseline normal QCA7005 device behavior and alert on deviations in CPU usage, memory pressure, or link resets.
- Inspect logs from EV supply equipment (EVSE) and HomePlug AV/Green PHY bridges for repeated authorization failures or parser errors.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Aggregate device telemetry from chargers, gateways, and meters into a centralized log platform for correlation.
- Track firmware versions across the QCA7005 fleet and alert on devices not running patched builds from the May 2026 bulletin.
- Enable network segmentation telemetry between OT/IoT segments and corporate networks to surface lateral movement attempts originating from a compromised PLC device.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25293
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all devices that integrate the Qualcomm QCA7005 chipset, including EV chargers, smart meters, and HomePlug bridges.
- Apply the firmware update referenced in the Qualcomm May 2026 Security Bulletin as soon as the OEM publishes a downstream release.
- Restrict physical and logical access to powerline segments hosting QCA7005 devices until patches are deployed.
- Contact device OEMs to confirm patch availability timelines for products that embed the affected chipset.
Patch Information
Qualcomm has addressed CVE-2026-25293 in firmware updates documented in the Qualcomm May 2026 Security Bulletin. Because the QCA7005 ships inside third-party products, customers must obtain the patched firmware from the OEM that supplied the device. Verify image signatures against vendor-published hashes after deployment.
Workarounds
- Isolate vulnerable devices on dedicated VLANs or powerline segments with no path to corporate or internet networks.
- Disable PLC interfaces on devices where powerline communication is not required for operation.
- Deploy network filtering at upstream gateways to drop unsolicited HomePlug management traffic from untrusted sources.
- Increase monitoring of EV charging and smart-grid endpoints until OEM-provided firmware updates are installed.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
