CVE-2025-68474
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a buffer overflow vulnerability in the ESP-IDF BlueDroid AVRCP stack. An attacker could send specially crafted Bluetooth AVRCP commands to cause out-of-bounds memory writes, potentially leading to crashes, memory corruption, or remote code execution. This affects IoT devices using vulnerable ESP-IDF versions for Bluetooth functionality.
💻 Affected Systems
- Espressif IoT Development Framework (ESP-IDF)
📦 What is this software?
Esp Idf by Espressif
Esp Idf by Espressif
Esp Idf by Espressif
Esp Idf by Espressif
Esp Idf by Espressif
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Device crashes, denial of service, or memory corruption causing unstable behavior.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and Bluetooth security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires Bluetooth proximity and knowledge of AVRCP protocol. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in ESP-IDF v5.5.2, v5.4.4, v5.3.5, v5.2.7, v5.1.7 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/security/advisories
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update ESP-IDF to patched version using 'git pull' or download latest release. 2. Rebuild and flash firmware to affected devices. 3. Test Bluetooth functionality after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable AVRCP Bluetooth Profile
allDisable the AVRCP Bluetooth profile if not required for device functionality.
Modify sdkconfig to set CONFIG_BT_AVRC_ENABLED=n
Enable Assertions
allKeep assertions enabled to potentially catch overflow conditions earlier.
Ensure CONFIG_COMPILER_OPTIMIZATION_ASSERTIONS_ENABLE=y in sdkconfig
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment Bluetooth network and restrict physical access to vulnerable devices
- Implement Bluetooth pairing with strong authentication and encryption
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ESP-IDF version with 'git describe --tags' or examine firmware version string. Verify if using affected versions.Check Version:
git describe --tagsVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm ESP-IDF version is patched (v5.5.2+, v5.4.4+, etc.) and test Bluetooth AVRCP functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Bluetooth stack crashes
- Memory corruption errors
- AVRCP protocol anomalies
Network Indicators:
- Unusual Bluetooth AVRCP traffic patterns
- Malformed AVRCP packets
SIEM Query:
Not applicable for embedded IoT devices without centralized logging🔗 References
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/0b0b59f2e19cb99dfa1b28c284d1c5c1d276a132
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/565fa98d0cfd58102204c1cb636747e17ee59845
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/8262ee807d5cd425f66304f703eeb3382fb888c0
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/a6c1bc5e3e91ad1cb964ce2c178ee40a5d10a4a0
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/aa0e3d75db995b7137b55349fc92ee684b47092d
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/commit/b9ba1e29b65536ab4b670ac099585d09adce0376
- https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/security/advisories/GHSA-43gh-7r4f-qp57
