CVE-2022-25836

MITM interception via pairing mode confusion

Published Dec 12, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025

Authentication bypass in Bluetooth Core Specification 4.0 through 5.3 allows physically proximate attackers to intercept LE pairing. The pairing procedure accepts one user-entered passkey across Legacy and Secure Connections modes, enabling a MITM to brute-force it against the initiator and reuse it with the responder. Exploitation requires wireless proximity, two devices establishing a new encrypted LE connection, passkey entry or display, legacy pairing on one peer, and erroneous reuse of one passkey by the user.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in Bluetooth Core Specification 4.0 through 5.3 allows physically proximate attackers to intercept LE pairing. The pairing procedure accepts one user-entered passkey across Legacy and Secure Connections modes, enabling a MITM to brute-force it against the initiator and reuse it with the responder. Exploitation requires wireless proximity, two devices establishing a new encrypted LE connection, passkey entry or display, legacy pairing on one peer, and erroneous reuse of one passkey by the user.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-25836
Published
Dec 12, 2022
Updated
Apr 22, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-294, T1557
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 12, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-294Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay
T1557Adversary-in-the-Middle

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo