Audio capture via unauthenticated Bluetooth Classic connections
Published Aug 4, 2025 · Updated Sep 8, 2026
Incorrect authorization in Airoha Bluetooth audio SDK allows physically proximate attackers to establish unauthorized audio connections. The Bluetooth Classic BR/EDR stack accepts new connections outside pairing mode instead of requiring an authenticated link key, exposing profiles such as HFP. Bluetooth range is the location gate; an unauthenticated connection can capture microphone audio or disrupt an existing audio stream.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Airoha Bluetooth audio SDK allows physically proximate attackers to establish unauthorized audio connections. The Bluetooth Classic BR/EDR stack accepts new connections outside pairing mode instead of requiring an authenticated link key, exposing profiles such as HFP. Bluetooth range is the location gate; an unauthenticated connection can capture microphone audio or disrupt an existing audio stream.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-20701
- Published
- Aug 4, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 8, 2026
- Vendor
- Airoha Technology Corp.
- Product
- AB156x, AB157x, AB158x, AB159x series
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1123
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 8, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=Airoha AB1561x/AB1562x/AB1563x SDK v3.3.1 and earlier
- Affected versionversion=Airoha IoT SDK for BT audio v5.5.0 and earlier
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- RACE Toolkit vulnerability checkfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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