CVE-2022-25710 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 11/15/2022
Denial of service due to null pointer dereference when GATT is disconnected in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical denial of service condition that manifests through a null pointer dereference during GATT disconnection operations within Qualcomm's Bluetooth stack implementations. The flaw specifically affects multiple Snapdragon product lines including automotive, consumer IoT, industrial IoT, mobile, and voice/music devices, indicating a widespread impact across Qualcomm's hardware ecosystem. The vulnerability occurs when the Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) service experiences disconnection events, triggering a null pointer dereference that can lead to system crashes or complete service unavailability.
The technical root cause stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the Bluetooth GATT subsystem where the software fails to properly check for null references before attempting to access memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses null pointer dereference conditions, representing a fundamental flaw in software design where pointers are not validated before use. The issue demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the code assumes certain objects will always be properly initialized, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered through normal Bluetooth disconnection sequences.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to device availability and system reliability across various deployment scenarios. In automotive applications, such as those found in Snapdragon Auto platforms, a denial of service could compromise vehicle connectivity features, potentially affecting infotainment systems, diagnostic capabilities, and even safety-critical communication channels. For IoT deployments, the impact could result in complete device outages, requiring physical intervention for recovery. The vulnerability's trigger condition during normal GATT disconnection events means that any legitimate Bluetooth disconnection operation could potentially cause system instability, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through routine device operations rather than requiring special attack conditions.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across multiple ATT&CK tactics including privilege escalation and denial of service, as the null pointer dereference can be leveraged to cause system instability and potentially persistent service disruption. The impact is amplified by the broad device compatibility, affecting not just mobile devices but also automotive systems and industrial IoT deployments where reliability is paramount. Organizations should prioritize patch management for affected Snapdragon devices and consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust error handling in embedded systems and emphasizes the need for comprehensive testing of connection and disconnection sequences in Bluetooth implementations. Mitigation strategies should include firmware updates from device manufacturers, network segmentation to limit exposure, and implementation of redundant communication pathways where critical connectivity is required. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of adherence to secure coding practices and proper pointer validation mechanisms in embedded system development to prevent similar issues in future implementations.