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Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2016-10490

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, and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, 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 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, if a negative value is passed as argument "max" to qurt_qdi_state_local_new_handle_from_obj, an buffer overflow occurs, due to typecasting the signed integer to unsigned.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors where passing a negative value as the 'max' parameter to qurt_qdi_state_local_new_handle_from_obj causes an integer typecasting issue (signed to unsigned), resulting in an out-of-bounds memory write. This affects the QuRT kernel interface in multiple Snapdragon chip generations used in mobile, automotive, and wearable devices.

MitigationApply Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain firmware update from device OEM/carrier that includes the Qualcomm fix for this vulnerability.

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
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
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 Qualcomm chipset model in the device
    Check the device specifications or system information to determine if the device uses one of the affected Qualcomm modem chips: Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650, or Mdm9655. This information is typically found in the device's hardware specifications, modem firmware details, or via AT commands on the device.
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed Qualcomm MDM chip models (MDM9206, MDM9607, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650, or Mdm9655)
  2. Verify the firmware version of the affected Qualcomm modem
    Query the modem firmware version through available diagnostic interfaces such as AT command responses (e.g., AT+CGMR or similar carrier-specific commands), through the device's system information in settings, or via the QuRT kernel interface if accessible. Compare the firmware version against the affected product list.
    Affected if The device firmware is any version of the listed Qualcomm MDM products, as all versions are affected according to the advisory.
  3. Check if the QuRT kernel interface is accessible and being used
    Determine if the device actively uses the QuRT (Qualcomm Real-Time Thread) kernel interface. This is typically used by applications that interact with Qualcomm's QDI (QuRT Driver Interface) for modem state management. Review any custom or third-party applications that may invoke qurt_qdi_state_local_new_handle_from_obj.
    Affected if The device runs applications or services that call the vulnerable function qurt_qdi_state_local_new_handle_from_obj with a potentially negative 'max' parameter value.

A device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm MDM chip models (MDM9206, MDM9607, Mdm9625, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9645, Mdm9650, or Mdm9655) regardless of firmware version, and if software on the device uses the QuRT kernel interface with the vulnerable function.

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 Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later, or obtain firmware update from device OEM/carrier that includes the Qualcomm fix for this vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Any Android release with security patch level 2018-04-05 or later that includes the fix for this vulnerability

  1. 1. Identify the device model that contains the affected Qualcomm Snapdragon modem (MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, or MDM9655)
  2. 2. Contact the device manufacturer or mobile carrier to obtain a firmware update that includes the April 2018 Android security patch level or later
  3. 3. Apply the firmware update through the device's system update mechanism (Settings > System > Software Update or similar)
  4. 4. Verify the Android security patch level is April 2018 (2018-04-05) or later by checking Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
Caveat Firmware updates for older devices may no longer be available from manufacturers or carriers; some devices may reach end-of-life and not receive patches

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
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,360
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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-2016-10490 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