CVE-2025-27036 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-126 (Buffer Over-read) affecting multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms and associated components, including FastConnect modules (6700, 6900, 7800), QCM and QCS series chips, Snapdragon Compute platforms (7c+ Gen 3, 8cx Gen 3), WCD and WSA audio components, and the Qualcomm Video Collaboration VC3 Platform. The vulnerability arises when the video engine processes escape input data that is smaller than the expected minimum size, leading to a buffer over-read condition. This means that the system reads beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially disclosing sensitive information from adjacent memory regions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L) reveals that the attack requires local access with low complexity and low privileges, no user interaction, and results in high confidentiality impact, no integrity impact, and low availability impact. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Qualcomm hardware widely used in mobile devices, IoT, and compute platforms, especially those leveraging Snapdragon chipsets and FastConnect wireless modules. The root cause is insufficient validation of input data size before processing in the video engine, leading to information disclosure risks.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality, particularly in environments where devices with affected Qualcomm Snapdragon components are used. Since the vulnerability allows local attackers with low privileges to read sensitive memory contents, it could lead to leakage of cryptographic keys, user data, or other confidential information stored in memory. This is especially critical for sectors handling sensitive personal data, such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies, which are subject to strict data protection regulations like GDPR. The low availability impact means service disruption is unlikely, but the confidentiality breach could result in compliance violations, reputational damage, and potential financial penalties. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised devices could leverage this vulnerability. Additionally, the affected platforms are common in mobile and edge computing devices, which are prevalent in European enterprises and consumer markets, increasing the potential attack surface.

To mitigate CVE-2025-27036, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Qualcomm and device vendors for official patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and prioritize timely deployment once available. 2) Implement strict access controls and endpoint security measures to prevent unauthorized local access to devices with affected Snapdragon components. This includes enforcing least privilege principles, device hardening, and restricting physical access. 3) Employ runtime protection mechanisms such as memory protection and anomaly detection on devices where feasible to detect abnormal memory access patterns. 4) Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments focusing on devices using Qualcomm hardware to identify potential exploitation attempts. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation and information disclosure vulnerabilities to reduce insider threat risks. 6) For organizations deploying custom firmware or software on affected platforms, review and harden input validation routines in the video engine processing pipeline to prevent buffer over-read conditions. 7) Consider network segmentation and isolation of critical systems using affected hardware to limit lateral movement in case of compromise.