dbcve.org
Msm8909w FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9181

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 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, and SD 835, in a crypto API function, a buffer over-read can occur.

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 over-read vulnerability in a Qualcomm crypto API function affects multiple Snapdragon chipset variants (MSM8909W, SD 210/212/205, 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). The flaw allows potential exposure of sensitive cryptographic material or memory contents due to insufficient bounds checking in the crypto API.

MitigationApply Android security patches from the 2018-04-05 patch level or later to affected devices; coordinate with device OEMs/vendors for firmware updates on affected Snapdragon hardware.

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
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
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
    Retrieve the chipset model information from the device system information or /proc/cpuinfo. On Android, you can use `getprop` commands or check /sys/ for device identifiers. Common locations include /proc/cpuinfo, /sys/devices/soc0/soc_id, or through manufacturer-specific diagnostic tools.
    Affected if The chipset model matches MSM8909W, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 400, SD 410, SD 412, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615, SD 616, SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650, SD 652, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, or SD 835.
  2. Verify the firmware version
    Check the firmware version associated with the identified chipset. This is typically found in the bootloader, baseband version, or through Qualcomm diagnostic tools like QPST or manufacturer-specific service menus. The firmware version may be displayed in Settings > About Phone > Baseband version or through AT commands.
    Affected if The firmware version is any version, as the vulnerability affects all versions of the listed chipsets.
  3. Confirm the crypto API is in use
    Determine whether the device utilizes the affected Qualcomm crypto API functions. This may require reviewing application behavior, checking which cryptographic libraries are linked, or analyzing network traffic for signs of cryptographic operations being performed.
    Affected if The device performs cryptographic operations using the vulnerable Qualcomm crypto API implementation.
  4. Check the Android security patch level
    On the Android device, go to Settings > About Phone > Build Number (tap repeatedly to enable developer options), then check Settings > System > Developer Options > Security patch level. Alternatively, use the command `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05, meaning the CVE has not been addressed.

The device is affected if it contains any of the listed Snapdragon chipset models and is running firmware without the 2018-04-05 or later Android security patches.

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 the 2018-04-05 patch level or later to affected devices; coordinate with device OEMs/vendors for firmware updates on affected Snapdragon hardware.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level April 5, 2018 or later (or manufacturer-specific firmware update containing the fix)

  1. 1. Verify the current Android security patch level on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Update the device to an Android security patch level dated 2018-04-05 or later to receive the fix for this vulnerability
  3. 3. If the device manufacturer has released a specific firmware update addressing CVE-2015-9181, apply that update
  4. 4. Verify the security patch level has been updated to April 2018 or later after applying updates
Caveat Security patches may have compatibility implications with older Android versions; ensure backups before updating

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

Fix this in Msm8909w 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-2015-9181 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