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Android Dolby Audio Zero-Click Vulnerability (CVE-2025-54957)

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CVE-2025-54957 Android Zero-Click Remote Code Execution Dolby Digital Plus Buffer Overflow CERT-In Warning

Overview

CVE-2025-54957 is a critical zero-click remote code execution vulnerability affecting the Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) Unified Decoder component integrated into millions of Android devices worldwide. Disclosed and patched in the January 2026 Android Security Bulletin, the vulnerability stems from an integer overflow during audio stream length calculation, leading to insufficient memory allocation and subsequent out-of-bounds buffer write when processing specially crafted DD+ audio streams.

The flaw's severity is amplified by its zero-click exploitation potential—Android's automatic audio processing features (message previews, media parsing, background transcoding) can trigger the vulnerability without any user interaction, enabling attackers to achieve remote code execution by simply sending a malicious audio file via messaging apps, email attachments, or web content.

Affected decoder versions span 4.5 through 4.13, impacting a vast ecosystem of Android devices from major manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Motorola) that license Dolby's premium audio technology.

CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) issued urgent advisories warning Android users to immediately apply security updates, highlighting the vulnerability's potential for large-scale exploitation targeting personal devices, government officials, enterprise employees, and high-value individuals.

Successful exploitation grants attackers full device control, enabling data theft, surveillance (microphone/camera access), credential harvesting, installation of persistent malware, and lateral movement into corporate networks via compromised personal devices.

Vulnerability Specifications

Attribute Details
CVE ID CVE-2025-54957
Vulnerability Name Android Dolby Audio Zero-Click RCE
Component Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) Unified Decoder
Affected Versions 4.5 through 4.13
Vulnerability Type Integer overflow, buffer out-of-bounds write, memory corruption
Attack Vector Network (zero-click via automatic audio processing)
User Interaction None required (zero-click exploitation)
Privileges Required None
Scope Changed (attacker escapes decoder sandbox, compromises device)
Confidentiality Impact High (full device data access)
Integrity Impact High (code execution, data modification)
Availability Impact High (device DoS, service disruption)
Exploit Complexity Medium (requires crafting malicious DD+ audio stream)
Affected Platforms Android devices with Dolby Digital Plus decoder (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Motorola, others)
Estimated Affected Devices Hundreds of millions globally
Discovery Date Late 2025 (Google internal security research or external report)
Public Disclosure January 2026 Android Security Bulletin
Patch Availability January 2026 Android security update
Patch Status Fixed in Android Security Patch Level 2026-01-01 and later
CERT-In Advisory Issued January 2026 (high-priority warning for Indian Android users)
Exploitation Status No confirmed in-the-wild exploitation (as of January 2026)
Weaponization Potential High (zero-click, network-based, affects hundreds of millions of devices)

Technical Details

Dolby Digital Plus Decoder Architecture

Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) is an advanced audio codec providing:

  • Multi-channel surround sound (up to 7.1 channels)
  • High-quality compression for streaming media
  • Enhanced audio for video content (Netflix, YouTube, gaming)

Integration in Android: 

Android Media Framework
    ↓
Dolby DD+ Unified Decoder (native library)
    ↓
Audio HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer)
    ↓
Device audio output (speakers, headphones)

Automatic Processing Triggers:

  • Messaging Apps: WhatsApp/Telegram audio message preview (decodes audio in background for waveform visualization)
  • Email Attachments: Mail apps scanning audio files for metadata
  • Browser Media: Websites auto-playing video/audio with DD+ codec
  • File Managers: Thumbnail generation for audio files
  • Media Server: Background transcoding/indexing of downloaded media

Vulnerability Mechanism

Root Cause:

The Dolby decoder calculates buffer size for incoming audio streams based on header-specified parameters. When processing audio with multiple channels, high sample rates, and large frame counts, the multiplication of these values can exceed the maximum integer size, causing the calculation to wrap around to a small value. This results in the decoder allocating an insufficient buffer while attempting to write data sized for the original (pre-overflow) calculation, leading to out-of-bounds memory writes that corrupt adjacent memory structures.

Attack Mechanism:

  1. Malicious Audio File Creation: Attacker crafts a DD+ audio file with manipulated header values (high channel count, sample rate, and frame count) designed to trigger integer overflow during buffer size calculation.

  2. Memory Corruption: The decoder allocates a small buffer based on the wrapped integer value but attempts to write data corresponding to the original large size, overwriting adjacent heap memory, function pointers, and control structures.

  3. Code Execution: The attacker leverages the corrupted memory to hijack program execution flow, achieving arbitrary code execution with decoder process privileges.

Zero-Click Exploitation Path

WhatsApp Audio Message Attack:

  1. Delivery: Attacker sends malicious DD+ audio file to victim via WhatsApp (appears as normal 2-3 second audio clip).

  2. Automatic Trigger: Victim's WhatsApp automatically decodes the audio in the background to generate waveform preview—no user interaction required.

  3. Exploitation: Integer overflow triggers during automatic processing, corrupting memory and hijacking execution flow.

  4. Access Gained: Attacker achieves code execution within WhatsApp process, gaining access to contacts, messages, media, camera, and microphone.

  5. Persistence: Attacker establishes persistent access, exfiltrates sensitive data, conducts surveillance, and potentially spreads to victim's contacts.

Affected Android Devices

Major Manufacturers:

Manufacturer Likelihood of Dolby Integration
Samsung Very likely on mid/high end models
Google Likely on Pixel series
Xiaomi Likely on many Mi/Redmi/POCO models
OnePlus Likely on recent flagships
OPPO / Vivo Likely on many recent models
Realme Likely on recent higher-end models

Device Requirements:

  • Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later
  • Dolby Digital Plus decoder integrated (premium/flagship devices)
  • Dolby Atmos audio enhancement (common selling point)

Attack Scenario

Zero-Click RCE via Messaging App

  1. Target Selection
    Attacker identifies high-value target (e.g., government official, corporate executive) using a flagship Android device with Dolby audio support. Through open-source intelligence (OSINT), the attacker obtains the target's phone number and confirms they use messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

  2. Exploit Development
    Attacker crafts a malicious Dolby Digital Plus audio file with manipulated header values that trigger the integer overflow vulnerability. The file appears as a legitimate short audio clip (2-3 seconds) but contains carefully crafted parameters designed to cause memory corruption during decoding.

  3. Delivery via Messaging App
    Attacker sends the malicious audio file to the victim through WhatsApp, Telegram, or other messaging platforms. The file displays as a normal voice message with an audio waveform preview, arousing no suspicion.

  4. Exploitation Triggered
    The victim's device automatically begins decoding the audio file to generate the waveform preview—no user interaction required. The Dolby decoder processes the malicious stream, triggering the integer overflow. A small memory buffer is allocated, but the decoder attempts to write far more data than allocated, causing out-of-bounds memory corruption and overwriting critical system memory structures.

  5. Code Execution Achieved
    The memory corruption overwrites function pointers or other control structures, redirecting execution to attacker-controlled code. The attacker's payload executes with the privileges of the messaging app, gaining access to conversations, contacts, media files, and device sensors (microphone, camera).

  6. Post-Exploitation
    The attacker establishes persistence by installing a hidden backdoor application and escalates privileges if possible. Over the following days, the attacker:

    • Exfiltrates sensitive communications and documents
    • Records audio and video surveillance
    • Harvests credentials from banking and email applications
    • Targets the victim's contacts by sending the exploit to additional high-value individuals
    • Accesses corporate resources if the device is used for work purposes

  7. Discovery & Response
    The victim experiences no obvious signs of compromise—the device operates normally with only subtle indicators like minor battery drain. The attack remains undetected until security researchers publicly disclose the vulnerability weeks later. By the time the victim applies the January 2026 security patch, sensitive data has already been compromised and the attacker may have established persistent access or moved laterally to other devices.

Impact Assessment

Full device data exposure:

  • Personal Communications: WhatsApp/Telegram messages, SMS, call logs
  • Sensitive Documents: Photos, videos, PDFs, work files stored on device
  • Credentials: Banking apps, email accounts, social media, government portals
  • Biometric Data: Fingerprint templates, facial recognition data (if accessible)
  • Location History: GPS tracking, visited places, travel patterns
  • Government/Corporate Secrets: Classified information on official devices, BYOD scenarios

Device and data manipulation:

  • Malware Installation: Persistent backdoors, spyware, ransomware
  • Message Tampering: Modify/delete conversations, send messages as victim
  • File Modification: Alter documents, inject malicious code into APKs
  • System Settings: Disable security features, add attacker accounts

Potential service disruption:

  • Decoder Crash: Malformed audio causes app/system crash (DoS)
  • Resource Exhaustion: Exploit process consumes CPU/memory
  • Ransomware: Attacker could encrypt device data, demand payment
  • Bricking: Malicious firmware modification renders device unusable

Massive attack surface:

  • Consumer Devices: Personal smartphones with Dolby audio (premium/flagship models)
  • Government Officials: High-value targets using flagship Android devices
  • Corporate BYOD: Personal devices accessing enterprise resources
  • Geographic Reach: Global (particularly high in India, China, Southeast Asia, US, Europe)
  • Affected Demographics: Consumers, enterprises, government, military, journalists, activists

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate User Actions

  • Install January 2026 Security Update:

    • Navigate to: Settings → System → System update → Check for updates
    • Required Security Patch Level: 2026-01-01 or later
    • Verify patch level: Settings → About phone → Android version → Android security update

  • Enable Automatic Updates:

    • System: Settings → System → System update → Automatic system updates → ON
    • Apps: Settings → Google Play Store → Settings → Auto-update apps → Over any network

Device Manufacturer Responsibilities

  • Push OTA Updates: Manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Motorola) must distribute January 2026 patch promptly with priority to flagship models first, followed by mid-range and older supported devices.

  • Update Dolby Decoder Component: License and deploy fixed Dolby DD+ Decoder version 4.14 or later.

Network-Level Protections

  • Enterprise Mobile Device Management (MDM):

    • Enforce security patch requirements (block devices with patch level before 2026-01-01)
    • Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions
    • Monitor for suspicious audio file transfers via messaging apps
    • Implement conditional access policies

  • Network Monitoring:

    • Monitor for unusual process crashes in media components
    • Alert on abnormal network connections from media processes
    • Flag devices exhibiting post-exploitation behavior patterns

User Awareness

  • Avoid Untrusted Sources:

    • Exercise caution with audio messages from unknown contacts
    • Avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages
    • Disable auto-download in messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram)

  • Monitor Device Behavior for warning signs:

    • Unusual battery drain or data usage
    • Apps requesting excessive permissions
    • Unfamiliar apps in installed applications list

Resources

Security Advisories & News

Last Updated: January 15, 2026