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This vulnerability exists within the MediaTek modem firmware. It is caused by a missing bounds check when processing certain signaling messages from a cellular base station. Specifically, when parsing an incoming message, the modem does not validate the length of a received data field before reading it into a fixed-size buffer. A remote attacker with control over a rogue base station (e.g., a malicious cellular tower) can craft and transmit a specially designed radio packet containing an improperly sized field. When a vulnerable mobile device (UE) connects to this rogue station, the modem attempts to read more data than the allocated buffer can hold, triggering an out-of-bounds memory read. This read access violation can crash the modem processor, leading to a persistent denial of service (loss of all cellular connectivity) without requiring any interaction from the device user.
Platform: MediaTek Modem
Version: Vulnerable Builds
Vulnerability: Out-of-Bounds Read
Severity: Critical
Date: 12/01/2025
Prediction: Patch by 02/28/2025
What Undercode Say:
$ strings modem.bin | grep -i “rrc\|nas”
$ adb logcat -b radio | grep -i “exception|abort|crash”
Sample vulnerable structure pseudo-code
struct malformed_msg {
uint8_t type;
uint8_t length_field; // Controlled by attacker
uint8_t data[bash]; // Actual read uses length_field without check
};
How Exploit:
1. Attacker operates rogue base station.
2. Station broadcasts strong signal.
3. Victim device connects automatically.
4. Rogue station transmits malicious packet.
5. Packet triggers OOB read in modem.
6. Modem firmware crashes.
7. Device loses network connectivity.
Protection from this CVE:
Apply vendor patch.
Disable auto-connect (limited).
Use updated firmware.
Monitor base station integrity.
Impact:
Persistent DoS.
Loss of emergency calls.
No cellular data/voice.
Requires device reboot.
🎯Let’s Practice Exploiting & Learn Patching For Free:
Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
