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Mdm9615 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9215

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 MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, and SD 810, improper input validation can cause a null pointer dereference in USB bootloader find_ep() function.

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 null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the USB bootloader find_ep() function of Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors (MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, SD 810). The vulnerability results from improper input validation and can be exploited without authentication, potentially leading to denial of service or arbitrary code execution.

MitigationApply the Android security patch released on 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain OEM/firmware updates from the device manufacturer for affected Snapdragon devices.

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
Mdm9615 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9625 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9635m FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 810 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 chipset model
    Check the device specifications or system information to determine if the processor is one of the following: MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, or SD 810. This can be found in /proc/cpuinfo on Android devices or via device documentation.
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset models (MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, or SD 810)
  2. Confirm firmware version
    Retrieve the current firmware/build version on the device. On Android, this is typically found in Settings > About Phone > Build Number, or via 'getprop ro.build.version.full' command over ADB.
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or is present on a device with an affected chipset
  3. Check USB bootloader accessibility
    Verify if the USB bootloader interface is accessible by connecting the device in fastboot mode or download mode. On Android, boot into fastboot (power + volume down) or download mode (power + volume down + home) and check if the device is detected by 'fastboot devices' or equivalent OEM tooling.
    Affected if USB bootloader is accessible and the device uses an affected chipset
  4. Verify USB debugging status
    Check if USB debugging is enabled on the device (Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging) or via 'getprop debuggable' command over ADB. This indicates the USB interface may accept external commands.
    Affected if USB debugging is enabled on a device with an affected chipset

A device is affected if it contains a Qualcomm MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, or SD 810 chipset, regardless of firmware version, and has USB bootloader or debugging interfaces accessible.

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 Android security patch released on 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain OEM/firmware updates from the device manufacturer for affected Snapdragon devices.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later (delivered via monthly Android security updates)

  1. Ensure the device receives Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later. This fix is delivered through monthly Android security updates that include patches for Qualcomm firmware vulnerabilities.
  2. Verify the current security patch level on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level (path may vary by device).
  3. If the device is not receiving security updates from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), consider upgrading to a device that is still supported with regular security patches.
  4. For embedded/IoT devices using these specific Snapdragon variants (MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, SD 810), contact the device manufacturer for a firmware update that incorporates the Qualcomm fix addressing CVE-2015-9215.
Caveat Devices no longer receiving OEM security updates may need to be replaced; custom firmware may be required for legacy embedded systems

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

Fix this in Mdm9615 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,880
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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-2015-9215 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