CVE-2025-27037
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a use-after-free vulnerability in Qualcomm camera kernel drivers where improper reference counting of CPU buffers during config_dev IOCTL processing can lead to memory corruption. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Affected systems include devices using vulnerable Qualcomm camera drivers.
💻 Affected Systems
- Qualcomm camera kernel drivers
📦 What is this software?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform Firmware →
Snapdragon 865 5g Mobile Platform Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 865 5g Mobile Platform Firmware →
Snapdragon 865\+ 5g Mobile Platform \(sm8250 Ab\) Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 865\+ 5g Mobile Platform \(sm8250 Ab\) Firmware →
Snapdragon 870 5g Mobile Platform \(sm8250 Ac\) Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon 870 5g Mobile Platform \(sm8250 Ac\) Firmware →
Snapdragon X55 5g Modem Rf System Firmware by Qualcomm
View all CVEs affecting Snapdragon X55 5g Modem Rf System Firmware →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with kernel privilege escalation leading to persistent root access, data theft, and complete device control
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges and potentially install malware or access sensitive data
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper kernel hardening, SELinux/apparmor policies, and privilege separation are implemented
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to interact with camera driver IOCTL; kernel exploitation requires bypassing modern mitigations
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Qualcomm September 2025 security bulletin for specific patched driver versions
Vendor Advisory: https://docs.qualcomm.com/product/publicresources/securitybulletin/september-2025-bulletin.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Qualcomm advisory for affected chipset/driver versions. 2. Obtain patched camera driver from device manufacturer or Qualcomm. 3. Update camera kernel driver. 4. Reboot device to load new driver.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable camera functionality
linuxTemporarily disable camera hardware/driver to prevent IOCTL access
echo 0 > /sys/class/camera/... (device-specific path)
rmmod camera_driver_module
Restrict camera permissions
linuxUse SELinux/apparmor to restrict camera driver access
setenforce 1
Configure SELinux policies to deny camera driver access to untrusted apps
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application sandboxing to prevent untrusted apps from accessing camera APIs
- Deploy kernel hardening measures like KASLR, stack canaries, and control flow integrity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Qualcomm chipset version and camera driver version against advisory; examine dmesg for camera driver errorsCheck Version:
cat /proc/version; dmesg | grep -i camera; getprop ro.boot.hardware (Android)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify camera driver version matches patched version from advisory; test camera functionality works without crashes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic or oops messages related to camera driver
- IOCTL permission denied errors for camera device
- Memory corruption warnings in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- No direct network indicators - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("camera" OR "IOCTL") AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "corruption")