Overview
CVE-2025-32900 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting the KDE Connect information-exchange protocol. This vulnerability allows an attacker to craft a malicious packet that can temporarily change the displayed information about a device connected to the KDE Connect network. This is possible due to the use of broadcast UDP for communication within the KDE Connect protocol. The vulnerability affects various KDE Connect implementations across different platforms.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from the way KDE Connect utilizes broadcast UDP for device discovery and information exchange. An attacker on the same network can send a specially crafted UDP packet that mimics a legitimate KDE Connect device. This packet can contain altered device information, which is then displayed by other devices on the network. Because UDP is connectionless and lacks built-in authentication mechanisms, it’s susceptible to spoofing attacks. The lack of proper validation of the sender’s identity allows the attacker to impersonate a connected device, albeit temporarily.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score for CVE-2025-32900 is 4.3 (Medium). The CVSS vector typically breaks down as follows (though a precise vector wasn’t provided, this is a likely scenario):
- Attack Vector (AV): A (Adjacent Network) – The attacker needs to be on the same local network.
- Attack Complexity (AC): L (Low) – The attack is relatively easy to execute.
- Privileges Required (PR): N (None) – No privileges are required to exploit the vulnerability.
- User Interaction (UI): N (None) – No user interaction is required.
- Scope (S): U (Unchanged) – The vulnerability impacts only the device that receives the spoofed information.
- Confidentiality Impact (C): N (None) – There is no impact to confidentiality.
- Integrity Impact (I): L (Low) – The displayed information is altered, potentially leading to confusion.
- Availability Impact (A): N (None) – There is no impact to the availability of the system.
This score indicates a moderate risk because the attack is relatively easy to carry out on a local network and can lead to misleading information being displayed to the user.
Possible Impact
While the impact of CVE-2025-32900 is rated as medium, the consequences can still be problematic:
- Misleading Information: Users may be presented with incorrect device names, battery levels, or other device-related information.
- Confusion and Frustration: Incorrect device information can lead to user confusion and frustration when trying to manage connected devices.
- Potential for Social Engineering: While not a direct risk, the spoofed information could be used as part of a more complex social engineering attack. For example, a spoofed notification could trick a user into performing an unintended action.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk of CVE-2025-32900, users are strongly advised to update their KDE Connect installations to the following versions or later:
- KDE Connect on Android: Update to version 1.33.0 or later.
- KDE Connect on Desktop: Update to version 25.04 or later.
- KDE Connect on iOS: Update to version 0.5 or later.
- Valent: Update to version 1.0.0.alpha.47 or later.
- GSConnect: Update to version 59 or later.
Updating ensures that you have the latest security patches addressing this vulnerability. If updating is not immediately possible, consider using KDE Connect on trusted networks only and being cautious of unusual device information.
