dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9187

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, lack of buffer length validation in pvr_cmd_handler leads to unauthorized access to secure memory.

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 length validation vulnerability in the pvr_cmd_handler component of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to secure memory. The flaw affects MDM9206, MDM9650, and multiple SD series processors (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, SD 850) running Android before the 2018-04-05 security patch level.

MitigationApply the April 2018 Android security patch level or later, which includes the vendor-supplied fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should inventory affected devices and work with device OEMs for firmware updates wherepatch availability is delayed.

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 820a 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

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 model
    Use 'adb shell getprop ro.board.platform' or check Settings > About Phone > Hardware specifications to find the Qualcomm Snapdragon or MDM processor model number
    Affected if The chipset matches one of the affected models: MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 820A, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 410, or SD 412
  2. Check the Android security patch level
    Use 'adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' or check Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level
    Affected if The patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05, meaning the device has not received the April 2018 security update
  3. Verify the device is running Android OS
    Confirm the device runs Android OS (not another OS) by checking 'adb shell getprop ro.build.id' or checking Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if The device runs Android and meets the chipset and patch level conditions above

A device is affected if it uses one of the listed Qualcomm chipsets and has not applied the April 2018 or later Android security patch level.

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 the April 2018 Android security patch level or later, which includes the vendor-supplied fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should inventory affected devices and work with device OEMs for firmware updates wherepatch availability is delayed.

Recommended fix High confidence

April 2018 Android Security Patch Level or later (e.g., May 2018, June 2018 security updates)

  1. 1. Identify the current Android Security Patch Level on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Build Number or Settings > Security > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Apply the April 2018 Android Security Update (or any subsequent security patch level after 2018-04-05) to the device
  3. 3. If the device manufacturer has released a specific firmware update addressing CVE-2015-9187, apply that firmware update
  4. 4. For embedded/IoT devices using the affected Qualcomm Snapdragon components (MDM9206, MDM9650, SD 820A, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, SD 410, SD 412), contact the device manufacturer for the patched firmware
  5. 5. After patching, verify the Security Patch Level reflects April 2018 or later and confirm the vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Devices no longer receiving security updates from manufacturers will require firmware updates from the device OEM or may need replacement; older devices may not support the latest patch levels

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
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,720
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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-2015-9187 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