dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9178

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, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, 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, while processing the rmp secure command, memory corruption may result if the response buffer is smaller than the expected size.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors where improper validation of response buffer size against expected size during rmp secure command processing allows buffer overflow. This affects baseband/firmware level code in the listed Snapdragon chipsets running Android before the 2018-04-05 security patch.

MitigationApply Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability in affected Snapdragon MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210/212/205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845, and SD 850 processors.

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
Sd 210 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 212 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 205 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 410 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 412 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 425 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 Snapdragon chipset model
    Check the device specifications or use a system info app to identify the exact Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 410, SD 412, or SD 425).
    Affected if The device uses any of these chipset models: MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 410, SD 412, or SD 425.
  2. Check the Android security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Build Number (or Settings > System > Security > Security patch level on some devices) to view the Android security patch level installed.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05, meaning the vulnerability fix has not been applied.
  3. Verify baseband firmware version
    Check the baseband version via Settings > About Phone > Baseband Version or by using *#*#4636#*#* or a terminal command like 'getprop gsm.version.baseband'.
    Affected if The baseband version cannot be determined or is from an unpatched firmware build (all versions are affected per the CVE, but patching status is determined by the security patch level).

The device is affected if it contains one of the listed Snapdragon chipsets (MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210/212/205, SD 410/412/425) and the Android security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05.

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 patch level 2018-04-05 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability in affected Snapdragon MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210/212/205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845, and SD 850 processors.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android devices with Security Patch Level dated 2018-04-05 or later (e.g., Android Security Bulletin April 2018)

  1. 1. Identify the device model and check if it is among the affected Qualcomm Snapdragon devices (MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 210/212/205, SD 410/412/425)
  2. 2. Verify the current Android security patch level on the device via Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  3. 3. If the Security Patch Level is earlier than April 5, 2018, check with the device manufacturer (OEM) for an available system update
  4. 4. Apply any available OEM firmware/security updates to reach the April 2018 security patch level or later
  5. 5. If no update is available from the OEM, consider replacing the device with a model that receives regular security updates
Caveat Older devices may no longer receive security updates from OEMs; some may be end-of-life and require hardware 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
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2015-9178 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