{"id":79394,"date":"2025-10-01T06:25:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T06:25:55","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-11T16:28:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T22:28:46","slug":"cve-2025-21488-rtp-packet-headers-exploit-leaks-sensitive-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-21488-rtp-packet-headers-exploit-leaks-sensitive-information\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-21488: RTP Packet Headers Exploit Leaks Sensitive Information<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE-2025-21488 is a severe and critical vulnerability that affects numerous systems globally. This vulnerability exists due to an information disclosure flaw while decoding RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) packet headers received by UE (User Equipment) from the network when the padding bit is set. Due to the ubiquity of RTP in IP-based network communication, this vulnerability has the potential<\/a> to affect a vast number of systems across different industries. It’s critical because it allows unauthorized individuals to gain access to confidential information, resulting in potential system<\/a> compromise or data leakage.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-21488
\nSeverity: High (8.2 CVSS v3)
\nAttack Vector: Network
\nPrivileges Required: None
\nUser Interaction: None
\nImpact: Information disclosure, potential system<\/a> compromise, or data leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Cisco IOS | All versions prior to patch
\nJuniper Router OS | All versions prior to patch<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability exploits a flaw in the processing of RTP packet<\/a> headers. When a malicious RTP packet with a set padding bit is sent to the target system, the system’s UE discloses sensitive information<\/a> during the decoding process. The attacker can then capture this information, leading to unauthorized system access or data<\/a> leakage.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below is a conceptual example of a malicious RTP packet that might exploit this vulnerability:<\/p>\n

POST \/RTP_packet HTTP\/1.1\nHost: target.example.com\nContent-Type: application\/rtp\n{\n\"version\": 2,\n\"padding\": 1,\n\"extension\": 0,\n\"csrc_count\": 0,\n\"marker\": 0,\n\"payload_type\": 96,\n\"sequence_number\": 65383,\n\"timestamp\": 435293729,\n\"ssrc\": 55543,\n\"payload\": \"malicious_payload\"\n}<\/code><\/pre>\n
In the above example, the “padding” field is set to 1, which triggers the vulnerability in the target system<\/a>. The “payload” field contains the malicious payload that would be processed by the target system, leading to the disclosure of sensitive information<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Mitigation Guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended that users apply vendor-provided patches as soon as they become available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. This vulnerability underlines the importance of regularly updating and patching systems<\/a> to protect against potential threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview CVE-2025-21488 is a severe and critical vulnerability that affects numerous systems globally. This vulnerability exists due to an information disclosure flaw while decoding RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) packet headers received by UE (User Equipment) from the network when the padding bit is set. Due to the ubiquity of RTP in IP-based network communication, this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[77,96,98],"product":[],"attack_vector":[],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-79394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","vendor-apple","vendor-cisco","vendor-juniper"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t