dbcve.org
Msm8909w FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9184

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, lack of length checking in wv_dash_core_load_keys_v8() could lead to a buffer overflow vulnerability.

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 overflow vulnerability in the wv_dash_core_load_keys_v8() function within Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets (Mobile, Wear, and Automobile) due to missing length validation. This Widevine DRM function processes encryption keys without proper bounds checking, allowing potential remote code execution or data corruption.

MitigationApply Android security patches from April 2018 or later; contact device OEMs for firmware updates if running earlier patch levels. For embedded/IoT devices, obtain patched baseband/firmware from Qualcomm and deploy via OTA or manual update.

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 Qualcomm chipset model
    Check the processor/chipset information on the device. On Android, this can be done via 'Settings > About Phone > Hardware' or by running 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' to view the processor details. Look for the specific model numbers listed in the affected products.
    Affected if The device uses any of the following chipsets: Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400, Sd 410, Sd 412, or Sd 425.
  2. Verify Widevine DRM is present
    Check if the Widevine DRM library is present on the system. On Android, examine /system/lib/libwidevine* or /vendor/lib/libwidevine* files. The vulnerable function is wv_dash_core_load_keys_v8() in the Widevine DRM module.
    Affected if Widevine DRM libraries are present and the device uses one of the affected Qualcomm chipsets.
  3. Confirm Android security patch level
    Check the Android security patch level via 'Settings > About Phone > Security patch level' or by running 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'. The vulnerability was patched in April 2018 or later.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 2018 and the device contains an affected chipset with Widevine DRM.
  4. Inspect baseband firmware version
    Check the baseband/modem firmware version via 'Settings > About Phone > Baseband version' or by running 'getprop gsm.version.baseband'. Compare against known affected firmware versions for the specific chipset.
    Affected if The baseband firmware corresponds to an unpatched version on an affected chipset.

A device is affected if it uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Msm8909w, Sd 210/212/205/400/410/412/425) 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 Android security patches from April 2018 or later; contact device OEMs for firmware updates if running earlier patch levels. For embedded/IoT devices, obtain patched baseband/firmware from Qualcomm and deploy via OTA or manual update.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Patch Level April 2018 or later

  1. Check the current Android security patch level on the affected device (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level)
  2. If the security patch level is earlier than April 5, 2018, contact the device manufacturer or carrier for the available security update
  3. Apply the appropriate Android security update that addresses the vulnerability in wv_dash_core_load_keys_v8()
  4. Verify the security patch level has been updated to April 2018 or later after applying the update
  5. For embedded/IoT devices using these Snapdragon variants, contact the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for firmware-level security patches
Caveat Security updates for older Snapdragon variants (SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 400) may no longer be available from manufacturers as these are end-of-life products

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

Fix this in Msm8909w Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2015-9184 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