CVE Alert: CVE-2025-27048 – Qualcomm, Inc. – Snapdragon

Risk verdict

High risk for local attackers; memory corruption in the camera driver IOCTL path could compromise kernel memory and device functionality. Urgency depends on KEV/SSVC status (not provided).

Why this matters

Exploitation could enable data leakage from the camera pipeline, kernel or process compromise, or denial of service on Snapdragon-based devices. The impact is broad across consumer and embedded devices that rely on this camera stack, with attacker objectives including data access, code execution or service disruption.

Most likely attack path

Requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. An attacker crafts malicious IOCTL requests to the camera platform driver, triggering untrusted pointer dereference and memory corruption. Because the scope is unchanged, the attacker remains within the device context but can achieve high-severity outcomes.

Who is most exposed

Devices shipping Qualcomm Snapdragon camera stacks—typically Android smartphones and related IoT/embedded devices—are most at risk. Patch velocity varies by OEM and device firmware cadence.

Detection ideas

• Kernel oops/crash logs referencing camera IOCTL or pointer dereference.
• Unusual, malformed or high-rate camera IOCTL calls to the driver.
• Camera service crashes or reboot loops linked to the camera stack.
• Kernel memory corruption or stack traces tied to the camera subsystem.
• Anomalous driver/module loading events around the camera path.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Apply vendor/OEM firmware and driver updates when released; verify patch applicability in lab before wide rollout.
• Limit exposure of the affected IOCTL surface; disable unused camera interfaces; enforce secure boot and memory protection for the camera stack.
• De-risk with least-privilege operation for camera processes; isolate camera driver in restricted contexts; implement robust monitoring for crashes.
• Change-management: coordinate with OEMs, schedule rapid deployment where feasible; monitor for KEV/EPSS signals and treat as Priority 1 if either indicates exploitation potential. If KEV/EPSS data is unavailable, treat as high-priority based on CVSS vector and potential impact.