CVE-2022-25660 is a high-severity vulnerability identified as a double free memory corruption issue within the kernel components of various Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms, including Snapdragon Auto, Compute, Consumer IoT, Industrial IoT, and Mobile product lines. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory deallocation, where a memory region is freed more than once, leading to undefined behavior such as memory corruption, potential kernel crashes, or arbitrary code execution. The affected versions span a wide range of Qualcomm chipsets and wireless connectivity modules, including but not limited to SD 8 Gen1 5G, SD 888, SD 865 5G, QCA series wireless chips, and WCN series connectivity modules. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.8, indicating a high severity with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access with low complexity, privileges, and no user interaction, but can result in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This vulnerability could allow a local attacker or malicious application with limited privileges to exploit the double free flaw to execute arbitrary code within the kernel context, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service by crashing the kernel. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild, the broad range of affected devices and the critical nature of kernel-level vulnerabilities make this a significant threat. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-415 (Double Free), a well-known class of memory management errors that can lead to severe security consequences if exploited. Qualcomm has published the vulnerability details, but no specific patch links were provided in the data, indicating that affected organizations should verify patch availability from Qualcomm or device vendors promptly.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-25660 is substantial due to the widespread use of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets in mobile devices, automotive systems, industrial IoT deployments, and consumer IoT devices. Enterprises relying on Snapdragon-based devices for critical communications, industrial control, or automotive applications could face risks of privilege escalation, data breaches, or service disruptions. In automotive contexts, exploitation could compromise vehicle safety systems or infotainment platforms, potentially leading to safety hazards or operational failures. Industrial IoT devices affected by this vulnerability might be targeted to disrupt manufacturing processes or exfiltrate sensitive operational data. Mobile devices used by employees could be compromised to gain unauthorized access to corporate networks or sensitive information. Given the local attack vector, the threat is more pronounced in environments where attackers can gain physical or local access to devices, such as in corporate offices, manufacturing floors, or automotive service centers. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability underscores the need for urgent mitigation to prevent potential exploitation that could lead to data loss, system downtime, or unauthorized control over critical systems.

European organizations should implement a multi-layered mitigation strategy beyond generic patching advice. First, they must inventory all devices and systems using affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across mobile, automotive, and IoT environments. Engage with device manufacturers and Qualcomm to obtain and deploy official patches or firmware updates addressing CVE-2022-25660 as soon as they become available. Until patches are applied, restrict local access to vulnerable devices by enforcing strict physical security controls and limiting administrative privileges to trusted personnel only. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring kernel-level anomalies or suspicious memory operations that might indicate exploitation attempts. For automotive and industrial IoT deployments, implement network segmentation to isolate vulnerable devices from critical infrastructure and monitor network traffic for unusual patterns. Additionally, conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on local privilege escalation vectors. Educate staff on the risks of local device access and enforce policies to prevent unauthorized device connections or installations. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to scenarios involving kernel-level compromises to ensure rapid recovery if exploitation occurs.