dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2016-10491

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 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 835, SD 845, SD 850, and SDX20, an integer overflow leading to buffer overflow can occur in a QuRT API 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

An integer overflow vulnerability in a QuRT (Qualcomm Real-Time) API function on affected Snapdragon chipsets allows a buffer overflow condition, potentially enabling remote code execution. The flaw exists in multiple Snapdragon Mobile and Snapdragon Wear platforms including MDM9206, MDM9607, SD 820, SD 835, and other listed variants running Android before the April 2018 security patch level.

MitigationApply Android security updates from April 2018 or later patch level to affected devices; coordinate with device OEMs or Qualcomm for chipset-level firmware patches where vendor updates are unavailable.

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
Mdm9640 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9645 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9655 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Msm8909w 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 processor/hardware identifier via 'getprop ro.hardware' or by examining /proc/cpuinfo for the Snapdragon model number
    Affected if The chipset matches one of the following: MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9625, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, or Msm8909w (or SD 820, SD 835 if those variants are present)
  2. Check Android security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' or inspect /system/build.prop for the 'security.patch' entry
    Affected if The security patch level is dated before 2018-04-05 or is not set (indicating the device has not received the April 2018 Android security update)
  3. Confirm QuRT component presence
    The QuRT (Qualcomm Real-Time) API is a firmware-level component; its presence can be inferred by confirming the device uses a vulnerable chipset listed above. No user-accessible configuration toggle controls this component.
    Affected if The device uses one of the listed vulnerable chipsets regardless of any configuration setting, as the flaw resides in the firmware-level QuRT API function

A device is affected if it uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipset models (MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9625, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, Msm8909w) AND is running an Android security patch level prior to April 2018.

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 updates from April 2018 or later patch level to affected devices; coordinate with device OEMs or Qualcomm for chipset-level firmware patches where vendor updates are unavailable.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android security patch level April 2018 or later (which includes updated Qualcomm firmware containing the CVE-2016-10491 fix)

  1. Check the current Android security patch level on the device (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level)
  2. If the security patch level is earlier than April 5, 2018, apply any available system updates from the device manufacturer
  3. Verify that the updated security patch level is April 2018 or later, which includes the Qualcomm firmware fix for this vulnerability
  4. If no update is available from the device manufacturer, consider replacing the device with a model that receives regular security updates
  5. For enterprise environments, ensure MDM configurations enforce automatic security updates
Caveat None expected - this is a security-only update that does not change device functionality

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

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,840
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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-2016-10491 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