dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9220

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 IPQ4019, IPQ8064, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9640, MDM9650, QCA4531, QCA6174A, QCA6574AU, QCA6584, QCA6584AU, QCA9377, QCA9378, QCA9379, QCA9558, QCA9880, QCA9886, QCA9980, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 625, SD 810, SD 820, and SDX20, integer overflow occurs when the size of the firmware section is incorrectly encoded in the firmware image.

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

Integer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon firmware image parsing where the size of a firmware section is incorrectly encoded, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

MitigationApply the April 2018 or later Android security patch level; devices running earlier patches should be updated to receive the vendor firmware fix from Qualcomm.

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
Ipq4019 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ipq8064 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Qca4531 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9640 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Qca6174a FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 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 and model
    Check the device specifications, system information, or hardware documentation to determine the Qualcomm chipset or model number in use. Look for identifiers such as Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Qca4531, Mdm9640, Qca6174a, or Mdm9650.
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Qca4531, Mdm9640, Qca6174a, Mdm9650)
  2. Locate the firmware version information
    Access the device firmware settings, boot logs, or system information interface. This is typically found in the device settings under 'About phone' or 'Firmware information', in boot loader output, or via diagnostic interfaces that report the current firmware build.
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or the device is running any version of the affected firmware
  3. Confirm firmware image parsing is in use
    Verify that the device performs firmware image parsing or loading. This is typically an internal function of the chipset firmware itself, which handles decoding and loading of firmware sections during the boot process. Check if the device loads external or updated firmware modules.
    Affected if The device performs firmware image parsing or loads firmware sections during boot, which is standard operation for these chipsets
  4. Check for firmware update availability
    Review the device or chipset vendor documentation, support website, or device settings for available firmware updates. Look for release notes or changelogs that mention CVE-2015-9220 or integer overflow fixes in firmware image parsing.
    Affected if A firmware update addressing this vulnerability is available but has not been applied

A user is affected if their device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Ipq4019, Ipq8064, Qca4531, Mdm9640, Qca6174a, Mdm9650) and the firmware has not been updated to address the integer overflow vulnerability.

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 or later Android security patch level; devices running earlier patches should be updated to receive the vendor firmware fix from Qualcomm.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later

  1. Check the current Android security patch level on the affected device (Settings > About Phone > Security patch level)
  2. If the security patch level is earlier than April 5, 2018, check for and apply any available system updates
  3. Update to an Android version with security patch level April 5, 2018 or later to remediate this vulnerability
  4. After updating, verify the security patch level reflects the update
Caveat Security updates typically have minimal compatibility impact; ensure device backups before updating

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
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,200
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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-2015-9220 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