CVE-2025-21432 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 07/08/2025
Memory corruption while retrieving the CBOR data from TA.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2026
This vulnerability represents a memory corruption issue that occurs during the retrieval of cbor data from trusted applications within a security architecture. The flaw manifests when processing structured data formats, specifically cbor encoding, which is commonly used for efficient data serialization in secure environments including mobile devices and embedded systems. The memory corruption typically arises from improper bounds checking or buffer management when handling the decoded cbor structures. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of memory safety issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The technical implementation likely involves insufficient validation of cbor data length fields or improper handling of nested data structures during deserialization processes. When a trusted application attempts to retrieve and process cbor formatted data, the memory corruption can occur at various layers including the application programming interface level or the underlying data parsing mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data processing failures and can potentially enable attackers to execute malicious code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where trusted applications handle sensitive data or perform critical security functions, as it may allow for privilege escalation attacks. Attackers could exploit this flaw by crafting malicious cbor payloads designed to trigger the memory corruption during normal application operation. The corrupted memory state could then be leveraged to overwrite critical program variables, function pointers, or execute arbitrary instructions within the trusted application context. This type of vulnerability directly relates to attack techniques described in the attack tree framework where memory corruption vulnerabilities serve as primary entry points for privilege escalation and system compromise.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms for all cbor data processing operations including comprehensive bounds checking and proper buffer management practices. The implementation of memory safety features such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and code integrity checks can significantly reduce exploitation risks. Security-conscious development practices including static analysis tools, dynamic testing with fuzzing frameworks, and adherence to secure coding standards should be enforced throughout the development lifecycle. Additionally, implementing proper error handling and graceful degradation mechanisms when processing malformed cbor data can prevent the corruption from escalating into full system compromise. Organizations should also consider employing sandboxing techniques for trusted applications handling sensitive data formats and regularly updating security patches to address known memory corruption vulnerabilities in underlying libraries and frameworks. This vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe 121 heap based buffer overflow and cwe 787 out of bounds read which are frequently exploited in mobile and embedded security contexts.