CVE Alert: CVE-2025-27037 – Qualcomm, Inc. – Snapdragon

Risk verdict

High risk: local attacker could trigger a camera-driver use-after-free via the config_dev IOCTL, with potential kernel-level impact; no public exploit confirmed, but remediation should be pursued promptly on vendor/firmware updates.

Why this matters

Memory corruption in the camera stack can expose or corrupt user data, degrade authentication and IO integrity, or crash the system. In practice, an attacker on the device could escalate privileges or disable video capture, affecting devices across consumer, automotive, and IoT deployments that rely on Qualcomm’s camera stack.

Most likely attack path

An attacker with local access and low privileges targets the camera IOCTL interface exposed by the Qualcomm camera driver. By misusing config_dev, they can provoke a use-after-free in kernel memory, potentially leading to a crash or kernel code execution. No user interaction is required beyond executing the IOCTL; the Scope remains unchanged, with the primary risk being kernel-level compromise rather than remote compromise.

Who is most exposed

Devices using Snapdragon with integrated camera subsystems are affected—typical in Android phones, tablets, wearables, automotive infotainment, and other IoT devices that expose the camera kernel interface to apps.

Detection ideas

• Kernel oops/crashes linked to the camera driver during config_dev IOCTL usage.
• Memory corruption warnings or use-after-free indicators in kernel logs.
• Abnormal ref-count changes or buffer lifecycle anomalies around camera IOCTL calls.
• Unusual or rare app activity invoking camera interfaces with atypical parameters.
• Post-exploit indicators: privilege escalation attempts or unexpected kernel-level process privileges.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Apply vendor/OS updates containing the camera stack patch; coordinate with OEM for firmware rollout.
• Restrict IOCTL surface exposure and enforce least privilege for camera apps; consider disabling untrusted IOCTL paths where feasible.
• Enable kernel lockdown, secure boot, and module signing; restrict loading of camera driver modules.
• Review and tighten app permissions for camera access; deploy runtime mitigations where supported.
• Plan lab testing and staged production deployment; monitor for regression and kernel instability signals.