CVE-2015-9033
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 Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, a QTEE system call fails to validate a pointer.
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 QTEE (Qualcomm Trusted Execution Environment) system call in the Linux kernel fails to properly validate a pointer, which could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code via a crafted system call. This is a kernel-level vulnerability affecting Android devices using Qualcomm CAF kernels.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/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.
-
Identify the device processor and TEE subsystemCheck /proc/cpuinfo for Qualcomm processor info and check for TEE driver presence in /sys/class/misc/tee/ or by searching kernel config for CONFIG_TEE=yAffected if The device does not have a Qualcomm processor or does not implement QTEE, then it is not affected
-
Determine the kernel source and versionCheck uname -a for kernel version. For CAF kernels, look for 'caf' or 'CodeAurora' in /proc/version or /proc/config.gz if availableAffected if The kernel is not a Qualcomm CAF (Code Aurora Forum) kernel, the vulnerability does not apply
-
Check if QTEE system call is presentReview kernel sys_call_table entries or grep for 'QTEE' or 'qtee' in /proc/kallsyms (if accessible) or in kernel image symbolsAffected if The QTEE system call interface is not implemented in the kernel, the vulnerability is not present
-
Verify patch status by checking for pointer validationIf you have access to the kernel source or symbol file, search for the specific vulnerable function (QTEE system call handler) and verify it contains proper pointer validation checks before dereferencingAffected if The kernel lacks proper pointer validation in the QTEE system call handler, the device is vulnerable
The device is affected only if it uses a Qualcomm CAF kernel with an active QTEE subsystem that lacks proper pointer validation in the vulnerable system call handler.
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 the CAF kernel patch that adds proper pointer validation to the affected QTEE system call. As this is a kernel-level fix, it requires updating the device's firmware or kernel image.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,536.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-9033 — 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-2015-9033 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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