dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2014-9998

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 IPQ4019, IPQ8064, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, QCA4531, QCA6174A, QCA6574AU, QCA6584, QCA6584AU, QCA9377, QCA9378, QCA9379, QCA9558, QCA9880, QCA9886, QCA9980, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 625, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, and SDX20, while processing firmware image signature, the internal buffer may overflow if the firmware signature size is large.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC firmware signature verification. When processing firmware image signatures, an internal buffer can overflow if the signature size exceeds expected bounds. This affects multiple Snapdragon variants used in mobile, automotive, and wearable devices.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied firmware/security patches from Qualcomm and device manufacturers. Users should update to Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later. For end-of-life devices, consider replacement as firmware updates may not be available.

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
Ipq8064 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9635m FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9640 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9645 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 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 Qualcomm SoC model in your device
    Check /proc/cpuinfo, dmesg logs, or device manufacturer documentation to determine the exact Snapdragon chipset model (e.g., Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650)
    Affected if The identified SoC model matches any of these: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, or Mdm9650
  2. Check the firmware version of the identified Qualcomm component
    Use vendor-specific tools or check /sys/firmware or modem firmware directories (e.g., /vendor/firmware or /etc/firmware) for the affected component's firmware version string
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or exists on any of the affected chip models (all versions of these chips are vulnerable)
  3. Determine if signature verification is enabled for firmware updates
    Review device security settings or boot configuration to confirm whether firmware image signature verification is active (this is typically enabled by default on affected devices)
    Affected if Firmware signature verification is enabled (this is the default state on most mobile devices using these chipsets)

If your device contains any of the affected Qualcomm SoC models (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650) with signature verification enabled (the default), you are affected by this vulnerability.

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 vendor-supplied firmware/security patches from Qualcomm and device manufacturers. Users should update to Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later. For end-of-life devices, consider replacement as firmware updates may not be available.

Recommended fix High confidence

Device-specific Android firmware with 2018-04-05 or later security patch level from your OEM

  1. Contact your device manufacturer (OEM) to obtain a firmware/security patch update for your specific device
  2. Verify that the Android security patch level on your device is May 2018 or later (the vulnerability was fixed in the 2018-04-05 Android security patch level, but ensure you have May 2018 or later to confirm complete remediation)
  3. Apply the OEM-provided firmware update that includes the Qualcomm Snapdragon security patch
  4. After updating, verify the security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level reflects a date on or after April 5, 2018
Caveat Firmware updates may vary by device manufacturer; some older devices may no longer receive updates - contact OEM for support timeline

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
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,840
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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-2014-9998 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