CVE-2015-9183
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 Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile SD 410/12, SD 617, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, and SD 810, in TQS QSEE application, while parsing "Set Certificates" command an integer overflow may result in buffer overflow.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the TQS QSEE (Qualcomm Secure Execution Environment) application on specific Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (SD 410/12, SD 617, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810). An integer overflow occurs during parsing of the 'Set Certificates' command, which can lead to buffer overflow and potential code execution in the trusted execution environment.
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 versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Snapdragon processor model in your deviceCheck your device specifications, settings (About Phone > Model/Hardware), or use system info apps to determine the exact Snapdragon SoC (e.g., Snapdragon 410, 617, 650, 800, 808, 810).Affected if The device uses any of the following: SD 410, SD 412, SD 617, SD 650, SD 652, SD 800, SD 808, or SD 810.
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Check the Android security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Software Information and look for the 'Security patch level' or 'Android security patch' date. This is typically displayed as 'YYYY-MM-01'.Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05, indicating the device has not received the fix for this vulnerability.
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Verify QSEE/TEE firmware version (requires elevated privileges)On rooted devices or via OEM diagnostic tools, query the QSEE/TEE version. This may involve checking /vendor/firmware or using tools like 'tee_info' if available from the device OEM.Affected if The QSEE firmware version corresponds to the vulnerable releases prior to the April 2018 patch, and cannot be determined to have the fix applied.
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Confirm the QSEE 'Set Certificates' command interface existsThis is a TQS QSEE application feature. Detection typically requires access to TEE diagnostic interfaces or OEM-provided security audit tools. The command interface is present in the TEE for certificate management operations.Affected if The device has an exposed or accessible QSEE command interface for certificate operations and the firmware remains unpatched.
A user is affected if their device contains one of the listed Snapdragon processors (SD 410/412/617/650/652/800/808/810) and the Android security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05, indicating the QSEE TEE vulnerability has not been addressed.
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 Android security patch released on 2018-04-05 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. Users of affected devices should ensure they receive and install OEM firmware updates.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-9183 — 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-2015-9183 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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