Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2015-0571
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 · uneditedThe WLAN (aka Wi-Fi) driver for the Linux kernel 3.x and 4.x, as used in Qualcomm Innovation Center (QuIC) Android contributions for MSM devices and other products, does not verify authorization for private SET IOCTL calls, which allows attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application, related to wlan_hdd_hostapd.c and wlan_hdd_wext.c.
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 confidenceThe WLAN (Wi-Fi) driver for Linux kernel 3.x and 4.x in Qualcomm MSM devices fails to verify authorization for private SET IOCTL (Input/Output Control) calls. This allows unprivileged applications to send crafted IOCTL requests to the Wi-Fi driver, potentially executing privileged operations and gaining elevated system privileges. The vulnerability is in source files wlan_hdd_hostapd.c and wlan_hdd_wext.c.
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
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 4.0.0, <= 4.20.15>= 3.0.0, <= 3.18.66CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the running kernel versionRun `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to obtain the kernel versionAffected if The kernel version falls within 3.0.0 to 3.18.66 OR 4.0.0 to 4.20.15 (note: some older minor versions within these ranges may have been patched)
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Verify Qualcomm Wi-Fi hardware is presentCheck for Qualcomm MSM Wi-Fi hardware via `lspci | grep -i qualcomm` for PCIe adapters, or `lsusb` for USB Wi-Fi devices, or check device tree/sysfs for embedded Wi-Fi chipsAffected if The system contains a Qualcomm MSM (Mobile Station Modem) Wi-Fi adapter
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Confirm the wlan driver module is loadedRun `lsmod | grep -i wlan` or check `/sys/module/` for wlan-related modules, and identify if it is a Qualcomm-derived driverAffected if A Qualcomm-based wlan driver module is loaded (such as wlan, wlan_hdd, or similar)
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Check if Wi-Fi interface is present and activeRun `iwconfig` or `ip link show` to list wireless interfaces, and check if the interface uses the vulnerable driverAffected if A wireless interface exists and is managed by the Qualcomm WLAN driver (wlan_hdd)
The system is affected if it runs a kernel version in the 3.x or 4.x affected ranges AND contains Qualcomm MSM Wi-Fi hardware with the vulnerable wlan driver loaded and active.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataApply vendor-specific kernel security updates from Qualcomm/Android OEMs that add proper authorization verification before processing SET IOCTL calls in the WLAN driver. Until patches are available, restrict application installation from untrusted sources to reduce attack surface.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $11,712.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-0571 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-0571 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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