CVE-2025-21475 is a high-severity buffer over-read vulnerability (CWE-126) affecting a broad range of Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms and related components. The flaw arises from improper handling of a DisplayId parameter when processing escape codes, specifically when a large unsigned value is passed. This leads to memory corruption due to reading beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The affected products include numerous Snapdragon compute platforms (e.g., Snapdragon 7c, 8c, 8cx series), FastConnect wireless subsystems (6200 through 7800 series), various Qualcomm wireless chipsets (QCA and QCM series), and audio components (WCD and WSA series). The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8, indicating high severity, with the vector string AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack requires local access with low complexity and low privileges, no user interaction, and can impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability significantly. The vulnerability could potentially allow an attacker with local access to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service by triggering memory corruption. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in December 2024 and published in May 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Given the wide deployment of Snapdragon platforms in mobile devices, laptops, and IoT devices, this vulnerability poses a significant risk if exploited, especially in environments where local access can be gained or where untrusted code execution is possible.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-21475 could be substantial due to the widespread use of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and embedded devices. Confidentiality could be compromised if attackers leverage this vulnerability to access sensitive data stored or processed on affected devices. Integrity and availability are also at risk, as memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution or system crashes, disrupting business operations. Enterprises relying on mobile workforce devices or IoT infrastructure with Snapdragon components may face increased risk of targeted attacks or lateral movement within networks. The requirement for local access and low privileges means that attackers may exploit this vulnerability through malicious apps, insider threats, or physical access scenarios. The lack of user interaction needed further lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is obtained. This vulnerability could also affect critical infrastructure sectors in Europe that utilize Snapdragon-based embedded systems, potentially impacting service continuity and safety. Overall, the threat could lead to data breaches, operational downtime, and increased remediation costs for European organizations.

To mitigate CVE-2025-21475 effectively, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Qualcomm and device vendors closely for official patches and apply them promptly once available. 2) Restrict local access to devices with affected Snapdragon components by enforcing strong physical security controls and endpoint access policies. 3) Implement application whitelisting and restrict installation of untrusted or unsigned applications to reduce the risk of malicious code execution exploiting this vulnerability. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security configurations and monitor for suspicious local activity on mobile and compute devices. 5) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on local privilege escalation vectors to identify potential exploitation paths. 6) Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and the importance of device security hygiene. 7) For embedded and IoT deployments, isolate affected devices on segmented networks and monitor for anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 8) Collaborate with vendors to obtain firmware updates or mitigations if patches are delayed, including potential temporary workarounds such as disabling vulnerable features if feasible.