CVE-2025-64342
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in ESP-IDF allows attackers to disrupt Bluetooth Low Energy advertising on ESP32 devices by sending connection requests with invalid Access Addresses (0x00000000 or 0xFFFFFFFF). This causes the device to incorrectly report successful connections, potentially disrupting IoT device functionality. All ESP32 devices using vulnerable ESP-IDF versions in advertising mode are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- ESP32 devices using ESP-IDF framework
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Persistent denial of service where ESP32 devices cannot establish legitimate Bluetooth connections, disrupting IoT device functionality and availability.
Likely Case
Temporary disruption of Bluetooth advertising and connection capabilities, requiring device restart or reinitialization to restore functionality.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and monitoring; devices automatically recover after attack stops.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires Bluetooth proximity and ability to send crafted connection requests; no authentication needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: ESP-IDF 5.5.2, 5.4.3, 5.3.5, 5.2.6, or 5.1.7
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commits
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update ESP-IDF to patched version using git pull or downloading release. 2. Recompile your application with updated framework. 3. Flash updated firmware to ESP32 devices. 4. Restart devices to apply changes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable BLE advertising when not needed
allConfigure application to only enable Bluetooth advertising when required for functionality
// In application code: esp_ble_gap_stop_advertising() when not needed
Implement connection validation
allAdd application-layer validation to confirm legitimate connections before processing
// Verify connection parameters before accepting in application logic
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to limit Bluetooth exposure to trusted devices only
- Add monitoring for unexpected advertising stoppage and implement automatic restart procedures
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ESP-IDF version in project: 'git describe --tags' in ESP-IDF directory or examine sdkconfig.h for version macrosCheck Version:
grep -r "IDF_VER" components/esp_common/include/esp_idf_version.h or check project configurationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify ESP-IDF version is 5.5.2, 5.4.3, 5.3.5, 5.2.6, or 5.1.7; test BLE advertising with invalid AA packets to confirm resilience📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected advertising stoppage logs
- Connection events with invalid parameters
- ESP32 BLE stack error messages
Network Indicators:
- Bluetooth connection attempts with AA 0x00000000 or 0xFFFFFFFF
- Unusual BLE traffic patterns near devices
SIEM Query:
NOT_AVAILABLE - Requires Bluetooth-specific monitoring tools🔗 References
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/309f031dd6b04de30c926a256508c65b0df95dfa
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/3b95b50703cd3301a370cffaa1cc299b1941fe2a
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/75967b578563ea7876dc215251cbb6d64bc9d768
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/8ec541023684d33b498fa21c5b4724bce748aa7b
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/bf66761962579f73aea682d1154b9c99b9d3d7dc
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/e3d70429566ece1ef593d36aa4ebd320e0c95925
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/security/advisories/GHSA-8mg7-9qpg-p92v
