Overview
CVE-2025-20792 describes a significant vulnerability affecting MediaTek modem components. This vulnerability allows for a remote denial-of-service (DoS) attack without requiring any user interaction. The attacker needs to control a rogue base station to which a vulnerable device connects.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the modem software. When a device connects to a rogue base station, the attacker can send maliciously crafted data that triggers a system crash due to this flawed validation. The Patch ID for this vulnerability is MOLY01717526, and the Issue ID is MSV-5591.
Specifically, the modem fails to adequately sanitize incoming data, allowing malicious data to corrupt system memory or trigger unexpected code paths. This leads to a system crash, effectively rendering the device’s modem functionality unusable.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the CVSS score and severity level for CVE-2025-20792 are listed as N/A. However, given the ability to remotely trigger a denial-of-service condition without any user interaction, it’s likely that once a CVSS score is assigned, it will be categorized as high or critical.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of CVE-2025-20792 can have several serious consequences:
- Denial of Service: The primary impact is a complete denial of service for the modem functionality of the affected device. This includes the inability to make or receive calls, send or receive SMS messages, or use mobile data.
- Battery Drain: Repeated crashes can lead to increased battery consumption as the device attempts to recover.
- Potential for Further Exploitation: While the current vulnerability leads to a DoS, further analysis might reveal opportunities to escalate the attack and gain more control over the device.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to apply the provided patch (MOLY01717526) as soon as it becomes available from your device manufacturer or carrier. Contact your device vendor for specific instructions on how to obtain and install the patch. Since this involves modem firmware, updates typically come from your carrier or device OEM.
In the meantime, users may reduce their risk by being cautious about connecting to unknown or untrusted cellular networks. However, this is not a foolproof solution, as attackers can spoof legitimate network identifiers.
