CVE-2025-21486 in Snapdragon Compute
Summary
by MITRE • 06/03/2025
Memory corruption during dynamic process creation call when client is only passing address and length of shell binary.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2025
This vulnerability exists in a system that handles dynamic process creation through client-provided shell binary data. The flaw occurs when a client application submits only the memory address and length of a shell binary rather than the complete binary data structure. The memory corruption manifests during the process creation call execution when the system attempts to parse and validate the provided binary information without proper bounds checking or validation mechanisms. This particular vulnerability represents a classic buffer over-read condition that can be exploited to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code within the target process context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during the dynamic process creation routine. When the system receives only an address and length parameter, it assumes the memory region contains valid executable data without performing sufficient verification checks. This approach violates fundamental security principles of input sanitization and memory boundary enforcement. The flaw aligns with CWE-121 which describes stack buffer overflow conditions, though the specific manifestation here involves heap memory corruption during dynamic allocation phases. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows an attacker to control memory layout through crafted address and length parameters, potentially leading to information disclosure or privilege escalation scenarios.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risk to systems that rely on dynamic process creation mechanisms for executing client-supplied code. Attackers could exploit this flaw by crafting malicious address and length parameters that cause the system to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially overwriting critical data structures or executing unintended code paths. The impact extends beyond simple memory corruption as it can enable privilege escalation attacks when the vulnerable system operates with elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability commonly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.003 for command and scripting interpreter usage, particularly when exploitation leads to execution of malicious payloads through dynamic process creation. The vulnerability is especially dangerous in environments where untrusted clients can submit process creation requests, as it provides a direct path to system compromise through memory manipulation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and bounds checking before processing client-provided memory addresses and lengths. Systems should enforce strict parameter validation that verifies memory regions are accessible and contain valid executable content before proceeding with process creation. Memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention should be enabled to reduce exploitability. Additionally, the system should implement proper access controls and authentication to limit which clients can submit process creation requests, particularly those with elevated privileges. Regular security testing including fuzzing and memory analysis should be conducted to identify similar patterns of inadequate input validation that could lead to analogous vulnerabilities in other system components.