dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9209

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 MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, 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 835, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20, there is improper access control in a file storage API.

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 · moderate confidence

Vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors where a file storage API lacks proper access control enforcement, potentially allowing unauthorized access to files or data. The improper access control in the storage API could permit a malicious application or process to bypass normal permission boundaries.

MitigationUpdate affected devices to Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain OEM-provided firmware updates that include the fix for this access control issue.

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
Mdm9607 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9615 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9635m FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9640 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9645 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9655 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 commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' or check 'AT+CGMM' via modem AT interface to identify if the device uses Qualcomm MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, or MDM9655 modem chips
    Affected if The device contains any of the listed Qualcomm MDM chip variants
  2. Check the baseband/modem firmware version
    Query the modem firmware version using AT commands such as 'AT+CGMR' or through Android system properties with 'getprop' for 'gsm.version.baseband' or similar modem-related properties
    Affected if Firmware version cannot be determined or shows as unpatched build
  3. Verify 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' in ADB shell
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05 or cannot be verified
  4. Confirm storage API access control behavior
    Attempt to verify if the file storage API enforces proper access controls - this typically requires access to the modem firmware debugging or reviewing OEM documentation about the specific firmware build
    Affected if OEM documentation or firmware analysis shows no access control enforcement in the storage API

A device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm MDM chip variants and has an Android security patch level earlier than 2018-04-05, or if the firmware version cannot be confirmed as patched by the OEM

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

Update affected devices to Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain OEM-provided firmware updates that include the fix for this access control issue.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later (or a later Android version that includes this security patch)

  1. Identify the current Android security patch level on the affected device
  2. Upgrade the Android security patch level to 2018-04-05 or later to obtain the fix for this improper access control vulnerability
  3. For embedded MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, and MDM9655 modules, contact the device/firmware manufacturer to obtain a firmware update that includes the April 2018 or later Android security patch
  4. After applying the update, verify the security patch level reflects April 2018 or later
Caveat Updating to a later Android version or security patch level may introduce compatibility issues with legacy applications; thorough testing is recommended before production deployment

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

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
3.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2015-9209 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