CVE-2025-21449 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 07/08/2025
Transient DOS may occur while processing malformed length field in SSID IEs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2025
This vulnerability represents a transient denial of service condition that specifically targets wireless network infrastructure during the processing of malformed length fields within Service Set Identifier information elements. The issue manifests when wireless access points or network devices attempt to parse and validate SSID information elements that contain invalid or unexpected length values. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, this corresponds to weakness category CWE-129 which encompasses improper validation of length fields, making it susceptible to buffer overflows and parsing errors that can disrupt normal network operations.
The technical flaw occurs at the protocol parsing layer where wireless devices implement insufficient input validation for the length field within SSID information elements. When a malformed length value is encountered during the processing of beacon frames or probe response messages, the device's wireless firmware or driver fails to properly handle the invalid data structure, leading to system instability or complete service disruption. This vulnerability affects the fundamental wireless networking stack and can be exploited through crafted wireless frames that contain malformed SSID information elements with incorrect length specifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption as it can affect wireless network availability for all connected devices within the affected access point's coverage area. Network administrators may experience unexpected downtime, loss of wireless connectivity for clients, and potential cascading effects on network infrastructure as devices attempt to recover from the malformed frame processing errors. The transient nature of the denial of service means that the condition may resolve automatically once the malformed frame is processed or the device resets its wireless stack, but the disruption can be significant enough to impact business operations and user experience.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms at the wireless protocol layer, including proper bounds checking for length fields in information elements and implementing defensive programming practices to prevent malformed data from causing system instability. Network administrators should consider firmware updates from device vendors that address this specific parsing vulnerability, while also implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on malformed wireless frames. The mitigation approach aligns with the ATT&CK framework's defensive techniques for network protocol analysis and input validation, emphasizing the importance of validating all incoming wireless frames before processing their contents to prevent exploitation of parsing vulnerabilities that could lead to service disruption.