dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9170

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 MDM9206, MDM9650, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845, and SD 850, incorrect offset check in wv_dash_core_refresh_keys() may lead to a buffer overread.

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 buffer overread vulnerability exists in the wv_dash_core_refresh_keys() function within Widevine DRM on affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The issue stems from an incorrect offset check that allows reading beyond buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive memory contents. This affects multiple Snapdragon variants across mobile, wear, and automotive platforms.

MitigationApply Android security patches from April 2018 or later; enterprise environments should inventory affected devices and ensure all receive vendor-supplied system updates.

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
Mdm9650 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
Sd 205 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 400 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 410 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 Snapdragon chipset model
    Check your device specifications or use commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on Android devices to identify the chipset variant (Mdm9206, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400, or Sd 410)
    Affected if The chipset matches one of the affected models: Mdm9206, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400, or Sd 410
  2. Confirm Widevine DRM is in use
    Check if Widevine DRM is present on the device. On Android, inspect system apps related to Widevine (Widevine DRM services, media DRM modules) or check application logs for Widevine license requests
    Affected if Widevine DRM is enabled or installed on the device
  3. Verify the firmware version
    Check the firmware/baseband version on the device. On Android, this can be found in Settings > About Phone > Baseband version, or via 'getprop' commands such as 'getprop gsm.version.baseband'
    Affected if The device runs on any firmware version of the affected chipsets (all versions of Mdm9206, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400, Sd 410 are affected)

If your device uses any of the affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400, or Sd 410) and has Widevine DRM enabled, you are likely affected by this buffer overread 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 Android security patches from April 2018 or later; enterprise environments should inventory affected devices and ensure all receive vendor-supplied system updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Patch Level April 2018 (2018-04-05) or later

  1. 1. Identify the Android device model and current Android version/security patch level
  2. 2. Check if the device manufacturer has released an Android security update for April 2018 (2018-04-05) or later
  3. 3. If available, apply the security update through the device's system update mechanism
  4. 4. Verify the security patch level has been updated to April 2018 or later by going to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  5. 5. If no official update is available from the device manufacturer, consider replacing the device or contacting the device vendor for extended support
Caveat Legacy devices may no longer receive security updates from original equipment manufacturers; some devices may not receive updates beyond their original support window

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
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
40.0 hours of engineering $7,000
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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-2015-9170 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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