CVE-2025-21483

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2025-21483?

CVE-2025-21483 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability allows memory corruption when a user equipment (UE) device receives RTP packets during NALU reassembly, potentially leading to remote code execution. It affects Qualcomm chipsets used in mobile devices and IoT equipment. Attackers can exploit this without authentication over network connections.

9.8 CRITICAL

Remote Code Execution

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows memory corruption when a user equipment (UE) device receives RTP packets during NALU reassembly, potentially leading to remote code execution. It affects Qualcomm chipsets used in mobile devices and IoT equipment. Attackers can exploit this without authentication over network connections.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Qualcomm chipsets with multimedia processing capabilities

Versions: Specific versions listed in Qualcomm September 2025 security bulletin

Operating Systems: Android, Linux-based IoT OSes using affected Qualcomm chips

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices using Qualcomm's multimedia framework for video processing. Requires RTP packet processing capability.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete device compromise with remote code execution, allowing attacker to install persistent malware, exfiltrate data, or brick the device.

🟠

Likely Case

Device crash/reboot leading to denial of service, with potential for limited code execution in constrained contexts.

🟢

If Mitigated

Denial of service from crashes if memory protections are enabled, but no code execution.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitable via network packets without authentication, affecting devices with cellular or network connectivity.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Still exploitable on internal networks, but requires attacker access to the network segment.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Memory corruption vulnerabilities in multimedia processing are often complex to exploit reliably but CVSS 9.8 suggests high exploitability.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches included in Qualcomm September 2025 security bulletin updates

Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/september-2025-bulletin.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check Qualcomm advisory for specific chipset patches. 2. Obtain firmware updates from device manufacturer. 3. Apply firmware updates following manufacturer instructions. 4. Reboot device to activate patches.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable multimedia services

all

Temporarily disable RTP processing or multimedia services that handle NALU reassembly

# System-specific - consult device documentation

Network filtering

linux

Block or filter RTP packets at network perimeter

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 5004:5005 -j DROP # Example RTP port blocking

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Segment network to isolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks
Implement strict network monitoring for anomalous RTP traffic patterns

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device firmware version against Qualcomm's affected versions list in the September 2025 bulletin

Check Version:

# Device-specific - typically in Settings > About or using manufacturer tools

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version has been updated to post-September 2025 patches from device manufacturer

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic logs
Multimedia service crashes
Memory corruption error messages

Network Indicators:

Unusual RTP traffic patterns
Malformed RTP packets targeting vulnerable ports

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "corruption") AND process="mm-*" OR source="network" AND protocol="RTP" AND size>threshold

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-21483

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-119

EPSS Score: 0.04% exploit probability (12.6th percentile)

Published: September 24, 2025

Last Updated: November 28, 2025

🔗 References

https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/september-2025-bulletin.html Vendor Advisory

📋 TL;DR

💻 Affected Systems

📦 What is this software?

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Fastconnect 6700 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 6900 Firmware by Qualcomm

Fastconnect 7800 Firmware by Qualcomm

Msm8996au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8255p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8295p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8620p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8650p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qam8775p Firmware by Qualcomm

Qamsrv1h Firmware by Qualcomm

Qamsrv1m Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6310 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6320 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6335 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6391 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6420 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6426 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6436 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6564au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574a Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6574au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6595au Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6678aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6688aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6696 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6698aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qca6797aq Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm2150 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4325 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm4490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm5430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcm8550 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcn9274 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs2290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs410 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs4290 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs4490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs5430 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs610 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6125 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs615 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs6490 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs8300 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs8550 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qcs9100 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qmp1000 Firmware by Qualcomm

Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Qualcomm 215 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Robotics Rb3 Platform Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa4150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa4155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6145p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa6155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa7255p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa7775p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8145p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8150p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8155 Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8155p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8195p Firmware by Qualcomm

Sa8255p Firmware by Qualcomm