CVE-2025-20702 in Bluetooth
Summary
by MITRE • 08/04/2025
In the Airoha Bluetooth audio SDK, there is a possible unauthorized access to the RACE protocol. This could lead to remote escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-20702 resides within the Airoha Bluetooth audio SDK, a widely used software development kit for implementing Bluetooth audio functionalities in various consumer and industrial devices. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the RACE protocol implementation, which governs secure communication between Bluetooth audio devices and their associated control systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized parties from accessing sensitive protocol functions. The RACE protocol serves as a crucial component in maintaining the integrity of Bluetooth audio connections while providing secure access to device configuration parameters and operational controls. Given the widespread adoption of Airoha SDK across numerous Bluetooth audio products, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to device security and user privacy.
The technical flaw manifests as a weakness in the protocol's access control implementation that allows attackers to bypass normal authentication procedures without requiring any additional privileges or execution capabilities. This unauthorized access pathway operates at the protocol level, meaning that malicious actors can exploit the vulnerability simply by intercepting and manipulating RACE protocol communications without needing to execute code on the target device. The vulnerability's design flaw likely involves insufficient validation of authentication tokens, improper session management, or flawed access control lists that permit unauthorized entities to assume privileged roles within the protocol framework. The absence of user interaction requirements for exploitation indicates that this vulnerability can be leveraged through automated attacks, making it particularly dangerous for devices that operate continuously or in networked environments where passive monitoring is possible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential privilege escalation capabilities that could allow attackers to gain full control over affected Bluetooth audio devices. Remote exploitation without additional execution privileges means that adversaries could manipulate device settings, access stored audio data, or potentially use the compromised device as a pivot point for attacking other networked systems. The implications are particularly severe for IoT devices and embedded systems that rely on Airoha SDK for their Bluetooth functionality, as these devices often lack robust security measures and may serve as entry points for broader network infiltration attempts. This vulnerability could enable attackers to perform actions such as modifying device firmware, accessing user communications, or creating persistent backdoors within the Bluetooth ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-20702 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from device manufacturers who utilize the Airoha SDK, as these patches will address the underlying protocol access control flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate Bluetooth audio devices from critical infrastructure and establish monitoring protocols to detect anomalous RACE protocol communications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and could be exploited using techniques consistent with ATT&CK tactic TA0004 (Privilege Escalation) and technique T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation). Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all devices using Airoha SDK to identify potential exploitation vectors and establish incident response procedures for detecting unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual protocol behaviors and establishing secure device provisioning processes can help reduce the attack surface while awaiting official patches from vendors.