Overview
CVE-2025-32901 is a security vulnerability affecting KDE Connect versions prior to 1.33.0 on the Android platform. This vulnerability arises from the application’s handling of malicious device IDs received via broadcast UDP packets. A specially crafted device ID could trigger a crash of the KDE Connect application on affected Android devices.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the device ID received through broadcast UDP messages. KDE Connect uses UDP broadcasts to discover other devices on the network running the application. The affected versions of KDE Connect are susceptible to a malformed device ID leading to an unhandled exception within the application’s code, resulting in a crash. The exact cause of the crash likely involves a buffer overflow or an attempt to access invalid memory locations when processing the malicious device ID.
CVSS Analysis
The CVE entry indicates a CVSS score of N/A, suggesting that, at the time of publishing, the severity and impact of the vulnerability may not have been fully assessed, or the vulnerability was considered low-impact. However, the denial-of-service (DoS) potential through application crashes should still be considered. A more comprehensive analysis might be available via the KDE security advisory.
Possible Impact
The impact of CVE-2025-32901 is primarily a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. A malicious actor on the same network as the target Android device could repeatedly send crafted UDP broadcast packets, causing the KDE Connect application to crash. While this doesn’t directly lead to data theft or unauthorized access, it can disrupt the functionality of KDE Connect, potentially causing inconvenience for users who rely on it for device integration and synchronization.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to update KDE Connect to version 1.33.0 or later. This version includes a fix that addresses the vulnerability by properly validating device IDs received via UDP broadcasts. Users should update the application through the Google Play Store or their preferred method for updating Android applications.
- Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
- Search for “KDE Connect”.
- If an update is available, tap the “Update” button.
- Ensure you are running version 1.33.0 or later.
