CVE-2025-31713 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability identified in several Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, specifically the SL8521E, SL8521ET, SL8541E, UIS8141E, UWS6137, UWS6137E, UWS6151(E), and UWS6152 models. These chipsets run on Mocor5 or Android 8.1 operating systems. The vulnerability exists within an engineer mode service, which is typically a privileged diagnostic or configuration interface used by developers or manufacturers. The root cause is improper input validation, allowing special command elements to be injected and executed. This flaw enables an attacker with local access to escalate privileges without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.4 reflects the critical nature of the vulnerability, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary commands with escalated privileges, leading to full system compromise. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, and no patches have been linked at the time of publication. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-77, which pertains to improper neutralization of special elements used in commands, commonly known as command injection.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-31713 can be significant, especially for those relying on devices or embedded systems powered by the affected Unisoc chipsets. These chipsets are commonly used in IoT devices, mobile devices, and embedded systems that may be part of critical infrastructure, industrial control systems, or consumer electronics. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain escalated privileges locally, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of device functionality, or pivoting within internal networks. This could compromise confidentiality by exposing sensitive information, integrity by allowing unauthorized command execution and modification of system behavior, and availability by causing denial of service or device malfunction. The lack of requirement for additional privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing risk. European organizations in sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, and smart city deployments that utilize devices with these chipsets are particularly at risk. Furthermore, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or supply chain compromises, amplifying its impact.

To mitigate CVE-2025-31713, European organizations should: 1) Identify and inventory all devices and embedded systems using the affected Unisoc chipsets and operating systems (Mocor5/Android 8.1). 2) Engage with device manufacturers and Unisoc to obtain patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available. 3) Restrict local access to devices running these chipsets by enforcing strict physical security controls and limiting access to trusted personnel only. 4) Disable or restrict engineer mode services where possible, or implement additional input validation and access controls to prevent unauthorized command injection. 5) Monitor device logs and network traffic for unusual command execution patterns or privilege escalation attempts. 6) Employ network segmentation to isolate vulnerable devices from critical network segments, reducing the potential for lateral movement. 7) Incorporate vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on embedded devices to proactively detect exploitation attempts. 8) Educate staff about the risks of local access vulnerabilities and enforce policies to prevent unauthorized device access. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on device-specific controls, supply chain engagement, and operational security enhancements tailored to embedded systems with this vulnerability.