CVE-2025-20632
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in MediaTek wlan AP driver allows local attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially gaining elevated privileges on affected devices. It affects systems using MediaTek wireless chipsets with vulnerable driver versions. No user interaction is required for exploitation.
💻 Affected Systems
- MediaTek wlan AP driver
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with kernel-level access, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation enabling attackers to bypass security controls, install unauthorized software, or access sensitive system resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to network segmentation, least privilege enforcement, and proper monitoring detecting unusual privilege escalation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access but no authentication; exploitation depends on driver interaction and memory layout
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patch ID: WCNCR00397139
Vendor Advisory: https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/February-2025
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check device uses MediaTek wlan AP driver. 2. Apply patch WCNCR00397139 from MediaTek. 3. Update device firmware through manufacturer channels. 4. Verify driver version after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable driver
LinuxTemporarily disable or blacklist the vulnerable wlan AP driver module
modprobe -r mtk_wlan_ap_driver
echo 'blacklist mtk_wlan_ap_driver' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate affected devices
- Enforce least privilege access controls and monitor for privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check driver version: lsmod | grep mtk_wlan_ap_driver and compare with patched versionsCheck Version:
dmesg | grep -i mediatek or cat /sys/module/mtk_wlan_ap_driver/versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify patch WCNCR00397139 is applied through device firmware version or driver checksum verification📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel logs showing out-of-bounds memory writes
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Driver crash logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual local network traffic from device after privilege escalation
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName LIKE '%mtk_wlan%' AND NewIntegrityLevel=System