CVE-2025-20760 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-617 (Reachable Assertion) found in the modem component of MediaTek chipsets. The issue arises from an uncaught exception that leads to reading uninitialized heap memory, which can cause the modem software to crash. This vulnerability can be remotely triggered when a user equipment (UE) device connects to a maliciously controlled rogue base station. No additional execution privileges or user interaction are required, making the attack vector relatively straightforward once the device is connected to the attacker’s base station. The affected chipsets span a wide range of MediaTek models, including MT2735, MT6833, MT6873, MT6895, MT6980, MT8673, MT8791, and many others, indicating a broad impact across many devices. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with the vector indicating attack complexity is low, no privileges required, no user interaction, and impact limited to availability (denial of service). The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity. Although no public exploits are currently known, the potential for denial of service could disrupt mobile communications. MediaTek has assigned a patch ID (MOLY01676750) and issue ID (MSV-4653) for remediation, but no direct patch links are provided in the data. The vulnerability was published in January 2026, with the initial reservation in November 2024.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-20760 is a remote denial of service on devices using affected MediaTek chipsets. This can cause the modem to crash, resulting in loss of cellular connectivity and service interruption. For end users, this means dropped calls, inability to access mobile data, and potential loss of emergency communication capabilities. For organizations, especially those relying on mobile communications for critical operations (e.g., emergency services, logistics, telecommunications providers), this vulnerability could cause operational disruptions and degrade service availability. Since exploitation requires no user interaction and no privileges, attackers controlling rogue base stations could target multiple devices in a geographic area, potentially causing widespread outages. However, the impact is limited to availability, with no direct compromise of data confidentiality or integrity. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially in hostile environments where rogue base stations are feasible. The broad range of affected chipset models means many consumer and enterprise mobile devices globally could be vulnerable.

1. Apply official patches from MediaTek as soon as they become available, referencing patch ID MOLY01676750 and issue ID MSV-4653. 2. Mobile device manufacturers and carriers should prioritize firmware updates for affected devices and push them to end users promptly. 3. Network operators should monitor for and mitigate rogue base stations using radio frequency monitoring tools and anomaly detection systems. 4. Enterprises should implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to enforce timely updates and restrict connections to untrusted networks. 5. Users in high-risk environments should be advised to avoid connecting to unknown or suspicious cellular networks. 6. Security teams should monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploits targeting this vulnerability. 7. Consider deploying network-level protections that detect and block rogue base station activity where feasible. 8. Conduct regular security assessments of mobile infrastructure to identify and remediate potential attack vectors related to cellular connectivity.