Local memory corruption via concurrent buffer mapping
Published Aug 6, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Use-after-free in the Qualcomm Snapdragon NPU allows local users to corrupt memory through concurrent buffer map and unmap IOCTLs. The NPU IOCTL path fails to preserve buffer lifetime across simultaneous mapping and unmapping, allowing one thread to access a released buffer. Reachability requires low-privileged local access and concurrent IOCTL calls; successful exploitation can compromise data and interrupt the device.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Qualcomm Snapdragon NPU allows local users to corrupt memory through concurrent buffer map and unmap IOCTLs. The NPU IOCTL path fails to preserve buffer lifetime across simultaneous mapping and unmapping, allowing one thread to access a released buffer. Reachability requires low-privileged local access and concurrent IOCTL calls; successful exploitation can compromise data and interrupt the device.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-21456
- Published
- Aug 6, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Qualcomm
- Product
- Snapdragon
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 6, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 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=AR8035
- Affected versionversion=C-V2X 9150
- Affected versionversion=FastConnect 6900
- Affected versionversion=FastConnect 7800
- Affected versionversion=QAM8255P
- Affected versionversion=QAM8295P
- Affected versionversion=QAM8650P
- Affected versionversion=QAM8775P
- Affected versionversion=QCA6174A
- Affected versionversion=QCA6574AU
- Affected versionversion=QCA6584AU
- Affected versionversion=QCA6696
- Affected versionversion=QCA6698AQ
- Affected versionversion=QCA6797AQ
- Affected versionversion=QCA8081
- Affected versionversion=QCA8337
- Affected versionversion=QCC710
- Affected versionversion=QCN6224
- Affected versionversion=QCN6274
- Affected versionversion=QCS410
- Affected versionversion=QCS610
- Affected versionversion=QFW7114
- Affected versionversion=QFW7124
- Affected versionversion=Qualcomm Video Collaboration VC1 Platform
- Affected versionversion=Qualcomm Video Collaboration VC3 Platform
- Affected versionversion=SA6145P
- Affected versionversion=SA6150P
- Affected versionversion=SA6155P
- Affected versionversion=SA7255P
- Affected versionversion=SA7775P
- Affected versionversion=SA8145P
- Affected versionversion=SA8150P
- Affected versionversion=SA8155P
- Affected versionversion=SA8195P
- Affected versionversion=SA8255P
- Affected versionversion=SA8295P
- Affected versionversion=SA8530P
- Affected versionversion=SA8540P
- Affected versionversion=SA8620P
- Affected versionversion=SA8650P
- Affected versionversion=SA8775P
- Affected versionversion=SA9000P
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon 888+ 5G Mobile Platform (SM8350-AC)
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon X72 5G Modem-RF System
- Affected versionversion=Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System
- Affected versionversion=SW5100
- Affected versionversion=SW5100P
- Affected versionversion=WCD9340
- Affected versionversion=WCD9341
- Affected versionversion=WCD9370
- Affected versionversion=WCD9380
- Affected versionversion=WCD9385
- Affected versionversion=WCN3660B
- Affected versionversion=WCN3680B
- Affected versionversion=WCN3950
- Affected versionversion=WCN3980
- Affected versionversion=WCN3988
- Affected versionversion=WSA8810
- Affected versionversion=WSA8815
- Affected versionversion=WSA8830
- Affected versionversion=WSA8835
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
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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