dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2014-9988

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-04-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Automobile, Snapdragon Mobile, and Snapdragon Wear SD 820A, IPQ4019, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, SD 845, SD 450, and SD 850, lack of input validation for message length causes buffer over read in drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A buffer over-read vulnerability exists in the drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys function within multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset variants due to missing input validation for message length. This allows an attacker to read beyond buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive DRM key material or causing denial of service.

MitigationApply the April 2018 Android security patch level or later to affected devices, which includes the proper input validation fix for the message length parameter in the affected DRM component.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9607 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ipq4019 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 820a FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Msm8909w FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 210 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 212 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the chipset model
    Check the device specifications or use system information commands (e.g., 'cat /proc/cpuinfo', 'lspci', or vendor-specific diagnostic tools) to determine the exact Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset model number
    Affected if The chipset matches any of these: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Sd 820a, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, or Sd 212
  2. Verify firmware version
    Check the installed firmware version through the device firmware interface, bootloader, or vendor-provided version information tool
    Affected if The firmware is from the affected product list and all versions are considered vulnerable
  3. Confirm DRM subsystem is active
    Inspect if the Digital Rights Management component (drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys function) is present and loaded on the system, typically found in DRM-related kernel modules or firmware blobs
    Affected if The DRM subsystem with the vulnerable function is present and operational on the device
  4. Check for the vulnerable function
    Search firmware binaries or kernel modules for the string 'drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys' using binary analysis tools or firmware extraction utilities
    Affected if The function drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys exists in the firmware without the input validation fix for message length

The environment is affected if the device uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipset models (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Sd 820a, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, or Sd 212) and contains the vulnerable DRM component with the drm_app_encapsulate_save_keys function.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the April 2018 Android security patch level or later to affected devices, which includes the proper input validation fix for the message length parameter in the affected DRM component.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level April 5, 2018 or later (2018-04-05)

  1. Check the current Android security patch level on the device in Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  2. Update the device to receive the Android security patch level released on 2018-04-05 or later
  3. This is typically done through system updates pushed by the device manufacturer or carrier
  4. If no update is available from the manufacturer, consider whether the device vendor or carrier provides security updates for the affected Qualcomm components
Caveat Security updates may not be available for older or end-of-life devices; users of legacy devices may need to consider replacement

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,440
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-9988 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data