CVE-2016-10473
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 · uneditedIn Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, 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, and SDX20, in a supplementary services function, a buffer overflow can occur.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the supplementary services (telephony/voice services) function of specific Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. This memory corruption flaw has a CVSS 9.8 rating, indicating critical severity with network-exploitable, low-complexity attacks requiring no user interaction or privileges.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the device chipset modelCheck the device specifications or system information to determine the Qualcomm chipset model. Common methods include checking /proc/cpuinfo on Android devices, reviewing device documentation, or using system information apps.Affected if The chipset matches any of these models: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, or Sd 400.
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Verify firmware version on affected chipsetsFor identified affected chipsets, check the firmware version through device engineering menus, baseband information (AT command interface), or manufacturer documentation. Since all versions are affected, any firmware version confirms exposure.Affected if The device runs any firmware version on the affected chipset models listed.
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Confirm telephony/voice services are enabledVerify that the supplementary services (telephony/voice call) functionality is active on the device. This is typically always enabled on mobile devices with cellular capability. Check if the device has cellular baseband processor and voice service modules loaded.Affected if The device has cellular telephony capabilities and voice services are operational.
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Assess network exposure of telephony servicesDetermine if the cellular baseband or telephony interfaces are network-accessible. This includes checking if the device accepts incoming connections on telephony ports, has exposed VoIP services, or is directly reachable on cellular network without firewall protection.Affected if The device telephony services are accessible from network (cellular network, VoIP interfaces, or related ports are exposed).
If the device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 400) with active telephony services and network accessibility, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply Android security updates from April 5, 2018 or later to affected devices. For devices no longer receiving vendor updates, consider replacement or network-level filtering to reduce exposure.
April 5, 2018 Android security patch level or later (contact device manufacturer for specific update)
- Check the current Android security patch level on the device in Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
- Verify if the device has received the April 5, 2018 or later Android security update
- If not updated, check for system updates in Settings > System > Software Update or Settings > About Phone > System updates
- Apply any available security updates from the device manufacturer or carrier
- If no update is available, contact the device manufacturer or mobile carrier for support and request the security patch
- Consider replacing the device if it is no longer supported by the manufacturer and cannot receive security updates
- For enterprise environments, apply network segmentation and monitor for exploitation attempts as a temporary mitigation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-10473 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10473 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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