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Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2015-9224

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, Snapdragon Wear, and Small Cell SoC FSM9055, 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 820A, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20, lack of input Validation in QURTK_write() can cause potential buffer overflow.

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 overflow vulnerability exists in the QURTK_write() function due to insufficient input validation. The function fails to properly validate input data before writing to a buffer, allowing an attacker to overflow the buffer and potentially execute arbitrary code. This affects multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset generations across mobile, wear, automobile, and small cell platforms.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied firmware update from Qualcomm with the 2018-04-05 or later security patch level. Until the update is available, implement network-level segmentation and monitoring to reduce the attack surface, as this vulnerability is in the baseband/processor firmware layer.

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
Mdm9625 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

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 Qualcomm chipset model
    Check device specifications, FCC ID, or system information to determine if the device uses an affected chipset: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9615, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, or Mdm9650.
    Affected if The device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipset models.
  2. Check the baseband firmware version
    Retrieve the baseband firmware version using AT commands (e.g., AT+GMR) or through the device's system information menu under 'Baseband version' or 'Modem firmware'.
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or shows any version on affected chipsets.
  3. Verify the security patch date
    Check the device's Android security patch level (Settings > About Phone > Security patch level) or the modem firmware's build date/release notes for the 2018-04-05 patch or later.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2018-04-05 or the firmware predates the patch release.
  4. Confirm QURTK_write function availability
    Inspect available firmware interfaces or debug logs for the presence of QURTK_write function calls in the baseband processor communication layer.
    Affected if The QURTK_write function is exposed and accessible in the firmware interface.

A user is affected if the device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9615, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650) and the firmware has not been updated to include the 2018-04-05 or later security 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 the vendor-supplied firmware update from Qualcomm with the 2018-04-05 or later security patch level. Until the update is available, implement network-level segmentation and monitoring to reduce the attack surface, as this vulnerability is in the baseband/processor firmware layer.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level April 2018 or later (e.g., April 2018 security patch)

  1. Check your device for system updates in Settings > System > Security & privacy > System updates or Settings > About phone > System updates
  2. Apply the Android security patch level from April 5, 2018 or later, which contains the fix for QURTK_write() buffer overflow
  3. If your device manufacturer has not released this security patch, contact your device vendor or carrier to request the update
  4. For enterprise or embedded deployments, obtain updated Qualcomm firmware from the device OEM that includes the corrected QURTK_write() function with proper input validation
Caveat OEMs control patch deployment timelines; some older devices may not receive this update

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
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,720
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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-2015-9224 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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