CVE-2025-21488 in Snapdragon Auto
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2025
Information disclosure while decoding this RTP packet headers received by UE from the network when the padding bit is set.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2025
This vulnerability involves an information disclosure flaw in the handling of RTP packet headers within user equipment implementations when padding bits are present in received packets from network sources. The issue occurs during the decoding process of real-time transport protocol packets where the padding bit is set, potentially exposing sensitive data or system information through improper handling of packet structures. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and secure processing of RTP packet headers when the padding bit flag indicates additional padding bytes within the packet payload. This represents a critical security concern as it may allow adversaries to extract confidential information from network communications or gain insights into system configurations and operational details. The flaw specifically manifests when user equipment receives RTP packets with padding bits set, indicating that the packet contains additional bytes beyond the actual payload that should be ignored during processing. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-200 Information Exposure, as it involves the unintentional disclosure of information during normal system operations. The technical implementation likely involves improper parsing or validation of RTP header fields where the padding bit is not correctly handled, potentially leading to buffer overreads or information leakage from memory regions adjacent to the packet data structure. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality aspect of network communications and may enable attackers to reconstruct sensitive information from seemingly benign network traffic patterns. The operational impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it could potentially aid in further exploitation attempts by providing attackers with additional system context or configuration details that would otherwise remain hidden. The vulnerability affects the integrity of secure communications protocols and may compromise the overall security posture of systems relying on proper RTP packet handling for real-time media transmission. Attackers could leverage this weakness to perform passive reconnaissance or combine it with other vulnerabilities to achieve more significant security breaches. The issue demonstrates a failure in proper input validation and secure parsing practices within the RTP packet processing pipeline. Organizations implementing RTP-based communication systems should consider this vulnerability as part of their security assessment frameworks, particularly in environments where confidentiality and integrity of real-time communications are paramount. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under initial access or reconnaissance techniques where adversaries might gather information about system configurations or network communications through improperly handled packet structures. Mitigation strategies should include implementing robust input validation for RTP packet headers, ensuring proper handling of padding bits during packet decoding, and conducting thorough security testing of media processing components. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in network protocol implementations and the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases within real-time communication systems.