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Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9185

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 600, 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, in multiple Secure DEMUX functions (e.g., SDMX_open_session, SDMX_close_session, SDMX_set_session_cfg), when parameter validation fails, an error code is written into a response buffer, without checking that response buffer length (rsplen) passed from HLOS is large enough to hold the response. If the buffer is at the end of a non-secure page followed by secured memory page, this can cause a secure memory corruption.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon Secure DEMUX functions where error response codes are written without validating that the response buffer length (rsplen) from HLOS can accommodate the response. When the buffer is positioned at the end of a non-secure memory page adjacent to a secure page, this allows writing beyond buffer bounds into secure memory, causing secure memory corruption.

MitigationApply Android security patch level from April 2018 or later, which contains the vendor fix. If patches unavailable, restrict device use in security-sensitive contexts until OEM firmware updates are released.

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 device chipset
    Check /proc/cpuinfo or run 'getprop ro.hardware' or 'getprop ro.chipname' to retrieve the Qualcomm Snapdragon model number
    Affected if The chipset matches any of: Mdm9206, Mdm9650, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 410, Sd 412, Sd 425
  2. Verify the firmware version
    Run 'getprop' commands such as 'getprop ro.build.version.firmware' or check the baseband version with 'getprop gsm.version.baseband' to identify the firmware version
    Affected if All firmware versions of the affected chipsets are vulnerable since no fixed version is listed
  3. Check Android security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to retrieve the installed security patch date
    Affected if The patch level is earlier than April 2018, indicating the vendor fix has not been applied
  4. Verify secure memory configuration
    Inspect /proc/zoneinfo or memory maps via 'cat /proc/self/maps' to determine if non-secure memory pages are positioned adjacent to secure memory regions
    Affected if A response buffer is located at the end of a non-secure memory page bordering secure memory, allowing overflow into secure regions
  5. Confirm Secure DEMUX functionality is active
    Monitor system logs or check for secure processing daemon activity related to 'demux' or 'secure demux' services that handle HLOS communication
    Affected if The Secure DEMUX module is actively processing requests from the HLOS and writing error response codes without validating buffer length

The device is affected if it uses any of the listed Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets and has not received the April 2018 or later Android security patch, with the vulnerable Secure DEMUX feature in use and memory positioned such that buffer overflow can reach secure memory.

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 from April 2018 or later, which contains the vendor fix. If patches unavailable, restrict device use in security-sensitive contexts until OEM firmware updates are released.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later (or equivalent OEM firmware update containing Qualcomm fix)

  1. 1. Identify the current Android security patch level on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  2. 2. If the security patch level is earlier than April 5, 2018, the device is vulnerable to this CVE
  3. 3. Contact the device OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to request a firmware/security update that includes the 2018-04-05 Android security patch level or later
  4. 4. If no update is available from the OEM, consider replacing the device with a newer model that receives regular security updates
  5. 5. As a temporary mitigation, avoid using secure media playback functions (SDMX) on affected devices until firmware update is available
Caveat May require OEM firmware update; some older devices may no longer receive security patches from manufacturers

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
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2015-9185 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