dbcve.org
Msm8909w FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9204

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 Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 808, and SD 810, if cchFriendlyName is greater than TZ_PR_MAX_NAME_LEN in function playready_leavedomain_generate_challenge(), a buffer overread occurs.

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 overread vulnerability exists in the PlayReady DRM Trusted Execution Environment (TZ) component of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. When the cchFriendlyName parameter exceeds TZ_PR_MAX_NAME_LEN in the playready_leavedomain_generate_challenge() function, an out-of-bounds read occurs, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or information disclosure.

MitigationApply Android security patch level from April 5, 2018 or later, which contains the vendor-supplied fix from Qualcomm. Verify device patch levels via system updates or MDM inventory tools.

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 410 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 412 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 615 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 616 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 processor model
    Check the device specifications or use a system information app to determine if the device uses an affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 410, Sd 412, Sd 615, or Sd 616)
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed Snapdragon processors
  2. Check the firmware version
    Query the device's baseband or modem firmware version through AT commands (e.g., AT+CGMR) or through the Android settings under About Phone > Baseband version
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or is present on the affected list (all versions of the listed chipsets)
  3. Verify PlayReady DRM is in use
    Check if the device implements PlayReady DRM for content protection. This may be visible in the device's DRM information settings or through apps that utilize PlayReady-licensed content
    Affected if PlayReady DRM is enabled and used on the device
  4. Check Android security patch level
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level, or use an MDM or device inventory tool to query the 'Security patch level' system property
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 5, 2018 (indicating the vendor fix has not been applied)

The device is likely affected if it uses any of the listed Snapdragon processors and has an Android security patch level before April 5, 2018, since all firmware versions of the affected chipsets are vulnerable and the fix was released in the April 2018 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 patch level from April 5, 2018 or later, which contains the vendor-supplied fix from Qualcomm. Verify device patch levels via system updates or MDM inventory tools.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later for affected Snapdragon devices

  1. Ensure the device receives and installs the Android security patch level released on 2018-04-05 or later
  2. Verify the installed security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security patch level shows April 5, 2018 or later
  3. If the device is not receiving OTA updates from the carrier/OEM, contact the device manufacturer or carrier for the patched firmware

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
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $880
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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-2015-9204 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