CVE-2025-21454 is a high-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-126 (Buffer Over-read) affecting a broad range of Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms and associated modem and connectivity products. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of received beacon frames, leading to a transient denial of service (DoS) condition. Specifically, when processing these beacon frames, the affected Snapdragon components may read beyond the intended buffer boundaries, causing system instability or crashes. This vulnerability impacts numerous Snapdragon mobile platforms, modems (LTE and 5G), compute platforms, wearable platforms, automotive platforms, and connectivity subsystems such as FastConnect and Qualcomm Video Collaboration platforms. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 reflects a network-exploitable vulnerability (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), and resulting in a high impact on availability (A:H) but no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The vulnerability does not currently have known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. However, the extensive list of affected products indicates a wide attack surface, especially in devices relying on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets for wireless communication and processing. The transient DoS could disrupt device functionality temporarily, potentially affecting critical communications or services relying on these platforms. The root cause being a buffer over-read suggests that malformed or maliciously crafted beacon frames could trigger the vulnerability remotely over the network without authentication, making it a significant risk for wireless-enabled devices using these chipsets.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-21454 could be substantial due to the widespread use of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets in smartphones, IoT devices, automotive systems, and industrial equipment. A transient denial of service in these devices could lead to temporary loss of connectivity, degraded performance, or system crashes, disrupting business operations, communications, and critical infrastructure. Enterprises relying on mobile connectivity for remote work, IoT telemetry, or automotive telematics may experience service interruptions. In sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation, where Qualcomm platforms are embedded, this vulnerability could affect operational continuity and safety. Additionally, the vulnerability’s network-exploitable nature means attackers could remotely trigger DoS conditions without requiring user interaction, increasing the risk of targeted attacks or widespread disruption. Although no confidentiality or integrity impact is noted, availability degradation alone can have cascading effects on dependent systems and services. The lack of current known exploits provides a window for mitigation, but the broad product impact necessitates urgent attention to prevent exploitation as threat actors develop attack methods.

Mitigation should focus on a multi-layered approach beyond generic patching advice. Organizations should: 1) Monitor vendor communications closely for Qualcomm patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and prioritize timely deployment across all affected devices. 2) Implement network-level filtering to detect and block malformed or suspicious beacon frames, particularly on wireless networks supporting affected devices. 3) Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to recognize anomalous wireless traffic patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 4) For critical infrastructure and automotive systems using Qualcomm platforms, consider network segmentation and redundancy to minimize impact from transient DoS events. 5) Engage with device manufacturers and service providers to verify the presence of updated firmware and coordinate vulnerability management. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on wireless interfaces to identify exposure. 7) Educate IT and security teams on the specific nature of this vulnerability to enhance incident response readiness. These targeted actions will help reduce the attack surface and limit potential disruption until comprehensive patches are widely deployed.