dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9157

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 Mobile and Snapdragon Wear IPQ4019, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 600, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, and SD 810, in widevine_dash_cmd_handler(), rsp buffers are passed off to widevine commands. These rsp buffers have values in them, such as buffer lengths, that need to be validated to ensure that no buffer overflow/over-reads happen. However, rsp buffers are not always in locked memory, meaning a time-of-check, time-of-use issue can occur where we check that the value is valid, but then a race condition occurs where this memory is swapped out with a different, possibly out of range, value.

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 time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition exists in the widevine_dash_cmd_handler() function in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. The function validates rsp buffer values (such as buffer lengths) to prevent buffer overflows, but the rsp buffers are not always in locked memory, allowing them to be swapped out between validation and use, potentially leading to buffer overflow/over-read attacks.

MitigationApply the Android security patch released April 2018 or later, which contains the fix for this TOCTOU vulnerability in the widevine DRM handler.

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
Mdm9625 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9635m 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 Qualcomm processor model
    Check the system or device specifications to determine if the processor is one of the following: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Msm8909w, Sd 210, or Sd 212. Use commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on embedded devices or check device documentation.
    Affected if The processor model matches any of the listed affected models.
  2. Verify widevine DRM is in use
    Determine if the widevine_dash_cmd_handler function or widevine DRM component is actively used on the system. This may require checking loaded DRM modules, media player configurations, or firmware debug logs if available.
    Affected if Widevine DRM is enabled and processing content through the affected handler function.
  3. Check the firmware version
    Query the firmware version of the Qualcomm component. On affected devices, this may be accessible via debug interfaces, firmware metadata, or device system information panels. Compare the version against the affected ranges listed (all versions are affected).
    Affected if The firmware version is any version of the listed affected products, as all versions are vulnerable.
  4. Check the Android security patch level
    On Android devices, go to Settings > About Phone > Build Number or use 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB to check the installed security patch level.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 2018, indicating the TOCTOU fix has not been applied.

A system is affected if it uses a listed Qualcomm processor model with widevine DRM enabled and has not received the April 2018 or later Android security patch.

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 Android security patch released April 2018 or later, which contains the fix for this TOCTOU vulnerability in the widevine DRM handler.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Patch Level April 2018 or later (for affected Snapdragon devices)

  1. 1. Identify the affected device model and current Android/security patch level
  2. 2. Check if the device manufacturer has released an Android security update for April 2018 (SPL) or later
  3. 3. If available, apply the April 2018 Android security patch level or later via system update
  4. 4. Verify the device now shows security patch level of April 5, 2018 or later in Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level
  5. 5. Confirm the widevine_dash_cmd_handler vulnerability is resolved by checking vendor-specific security bulletins if available
Caveat Devices reaching end-of-life may not receive further security updates from manufacturers; in such cases consider device replacement

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

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,460
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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-2015-9157 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