CVE-2025-21465VulnerabilityPublished 6 Aug 2025

CVE-2025-21465: Qualcomm Snapdragon · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects Qualcomm SnapdragonSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.08% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 0% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 6 Aug 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Implement strict validation and integrity checks on MBN firmware files before deployment, ensuring only authentic and verified firmware is accepted by devices. 2. Restrict access to firmware update mechanisms and provisioning interfaces to trusted personnel and systems, employing strong authentication and authorization controls. 3. Monitor device logs and firmware update processes for anomalies or unauthorized attempts to load MBN files. 4. Coordinate with Qualcomm and device manufacturers for timely release and application of security patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability. 5. For organizations managing fleets of devices, deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting suspicious local activities related to firmware handling. 6. Conduct security audits and penetration testing focusing on firmware update processes and local privilege escalation vectors to identify potential exploitation paths. 7. Educate technical staff on secure firmware management practices and the risks associated with out-of-bounds vulnerabilities. 8. Where feasible, isolate critical devices or systems using affected Qualcomm products from untrusted networks or users to reduce the risk of local exploitation.

Description

Information disclosure while processing the hash segment in an MBN file.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-21465 is significant due to the widespread use of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets in smartphones, IoT devices, automotive systems, and industrial equipment. Confidentiality breaches could expose sensitive corporate data, cryptographic keys, or personal information stored or processed on affected devices. Industries relying on connected devices, such as telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, may face increased risks of data leakage or espionage. The vulnerability's local attack vector implies that attackers would need some level of access to the device, which could be achieved through insider threats, compromised endpoints, or supply chain attacks involving malicious firmware. The broad product impact means that many devices in use across European enterprises and consumers could be vulnerable, potentially undermining trust in device security and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. Additionally, the vulnerability could affect embedded systems in automotive and industrial control systems, where confidentiality is critical for safety and operational integrity. Although no known exploits exist yet, the medium severity and high confidentiality impact warrant proactive risk management and mitigation to prevent future exploitation.

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #8
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Overread Buffers (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/august-2025-bulletin.html (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Aug 2025, 08:06 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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