CVE-2025-20788 is a vulnerability identified in the GPU pdma (Peripheral Direct Memory Access) register interface of MediaTek's MT6991 and MT8196 chipsets. The root cause is an improper access control mechanism, specifically a missing permission check when accessing certain GPU registers. This flaw can lead to memory corruption, which in turn can cause a local denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability does not allow privilege escalation or data leakage, but it disrupts system availability. Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, such as running a malicious application or code that triggers the vulnerable GPU register interface. The affected products include devices running Android 15.0 that incorporate these MediaTek chipsets. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.4, indicating a medium severity level, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality impact (C:N), low integrity impact (I:L), and low availability impact (A:L). No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and a patch has been identified (ALPS10117735), though no direct patch links are provided. The CWE classification is CWE-1262, which relates to improper access control in register interfaces, highlighting a failure to enforce correct permissions on hardware registers.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential for local denial of service on devices using the affected MediaTek chipsets. This could disrupt operations on mobile devices, embedded systems, or IoT devices running Android 15.0 with these chipsets. While the vulnerability does not allow attackers to gain elevated privileges or access sensitive data, the DoS condition could affect availability of critical applications or services, particularly in environments relying on mobile or edge computing devices. The requirement for user interaction and local access limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk in scenarios where untrusted applications or users have device access. Industries such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure using MediaTek-powered devices may experience operational interruptions. Additionally, consumer devices prevalent in European markets could be affected, potentially impacting end-user experience and trust.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Monitor vendor advisories and apply the official patch (ALPS10117735) as soon as it becomes available to eliminate the vulnerability. 2) Restrict installation of untrusted or unsigned applications on devices using the affected chipsets to reduce the risk of malicious code triggering the vulnerability. 3) Enforce strict device access controls, including limiting physical and local access to trusted users only. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control application behavior and permissions on Android 15.0 devices. 5) Conduct regular security audits of devices incorporating MediaTek MT6991 and MT8196 chipsets to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6) Educate users about the risks of installing unknown applications and the importance of user interaction in exploitation to reduce inadvertent triggering of the vulnerability. 7) For critical environments, consider network segmentation and endpoint protection to isolate vulnerable devices and limit potential impact.