CVE-2015-8596
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 · uneditedIn all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, validation of buffer lengths is missing in malware protection.
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 · moderate confidenceA critical vulnerability exists in Qualcomm's Android CAF (Code Aurora Forum) releases where proper validation of buffer lengths is missing in the malware protection component. This missing validation could allow attackers to trigger buffer overflows, potentially leading to remote code execution or complete device compromise.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the chipset and CAF buildCheck if the device uses a Qualcomm chipset and runs a CAF (Code Aurora Forum) build. Run 'getprop ro.board.platform' and 'getprop ro.build.id' or check /proc/cpuinfo for Qualcomm processors.Affected if The device runs Qualcomm hardware with CAF-based Android releases.
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Locate the malware protection componentIdentify the malware protection service on the device. This is typically found in /system/lib/libqualcommmediadrm.so or similar Qualcomm security libraries. Check /system/etc/permissions/qti_permissions.xml for malware protection components.Affected if The malware protection component exists in the system.
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Check if malware protection is enabledRun 'dumpsys package' or check the device's security settings to see if the Qualcomm malware protection service (often named 'Qualcomm Malware Protection' or 'QMP' service) is active/enabled.Affected if The malware protection feature is actively running on the device.
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Verify the component versionInspect the version of the affected library or service. Use 'dumpsys package <package_name>' for the malware protection APK, or check the file version metadata of the affected library files.Affected if The installed version of the malware protection component cannot be verified as patched against CVE-2015-8596, or the version predates the fix.
A user is affected if their Android device uses a Qualcomm chipset with CAF releases and has the malware protection component enabled, and the component version is not patched.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply Qualcomm/CAF security patches and updates for affected Android releases. Organizations should coordinate with their device OEMs or Qualcomm to obtain and deploy the vendor-supplied patches.
December 2015 Android Security Update or later (patch level 2015-12-01 or higher)
- Check the Android Security Bulletin for the month the patch was released (CVE-2015-8596 was addressed in the December 2015 Android Security Bulletin)
- Verify your Android device has received the December 2015 security update or later from your device OEM
- If your device is no longer receiving monthly security updates, consider upgrading to a device that still receives security patches
- Alternatively, contact your device manufacturer for specific patch availability
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8596 — 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-2015-8596 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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