CVE-2025-21480
CVE-2025-21480 is a security flaw in Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets, the chips inside many Android phones. Attackers can reach parts of Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets that should be locked to them. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Jun 2025.[1]
Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Qualcomm has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an incorrect authorization in Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets. In its words: “Multiple Qualcomm chipsets contain an incorrect authorization vulnerability. This vulnerability allows for memory corruption due to unauthorized command execution in GPU micronode while executing specific sequence of commands.”[1]
The underlying weakness is incorrect authorization (CWE-863), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 8.6 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Qualcomm’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets.
Every device with Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Jun 2025, within a day of it being made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 24 Jun 2025 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at under 1%. That’s in the top 63% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Qualcomm has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Update Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets now.Install the latest update from Qualcomm on every device that has it, and restart when asked. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.6.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at under 1%.[4] |
See also
Other Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets flaws
- CVE-2026-21385: memory corruption ·
- CVE-2025-27038: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2025-21479: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2024-43047: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2023-33107: integer overflow ·
- CVE-2023-33106: use of out-of-range pointer offset ·
Other Qualcomm flaws
- CVE-2020-11261, Qualcomm Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Connectivity, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables: multiple chipsets improper input validation ·
Other incorrect authorization flaws
- CVE-2026-71362, Adobe Commerce and Magento: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2026-42016, JFrog Artifactory: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2025-54253, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms: experience manager forms code execution ·
- CVE-2025-55177, Meta Platforms WhatsApp: incorrect authorization ·
- CVE-2025-24200, Apple iOS and iPadOS: incorrect authorization ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-27038, Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2025-21479, Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets: incorrect authorization ·
Every Qualcomm flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in June 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Qualcomm Multiple Chipsets Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Jun 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-21480 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 3 Jun 2025.
- ^ Qualcomm. Advisories and fixes: docs.qualcomm.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.004, percentile 37.1, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-21480”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.