CVE-2016-5871
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 all Qualcomm products with Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, an integer overflow to buffer overflow vulnerability exists when loading an image file.
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 · moderate confidenceA critical integer overflow vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Android kernel components when processing image files, leading to a buffer overflow condition. This flaw affects all Qualcomm products using Linux kernel from CAF (Code Aurora Forum) Android releases. The vulnerability can be triggered during image file loading, potentially allowing remote code execution or privilege escalation.
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 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.
-
Identify the processor chipsetCheck /proc/cpuinfo or device system settings for 'Qualcomm' or 'Snapdragon' processor informationAffected if Device uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset - the vulnerability exists in Qualcomm kernel components
-
Determine the kernel versionRun 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to identify the exact kernel buildAffected if Kernel is built from Code Aurora Forum (CAF) sources - look for CAF versioning patterns in the build string
-
Check the Android security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Build Number, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'Affected if Security patch level is earlier than June 2016 - the vulnerability was publicly disclosed in June 2016 and patches were released afterward
-
Verify image processing componentsCheck for presence of image codec libraries in /system/lib/hw or /vendor/lib/hw directories related to Qualcomm multimedia componentsAffected if Device has Qualcomm multimedia/image processing firmware modules loaded - these contain the vulnerable code path
-
Identify CAF kernel source usageExamine kernel build string for CAF identifiers such as 'caf', 'msm', or Qualcomm-specific version tagsAffected if Kernel build explicitly shows Code Aurora Forum source tree usage - the vulnerability is specific to CAF kernel branches
A device is affected if it uses a Qualcomm chipset with a CAF-derived kernel built before June 2016 and has not received the corresponding security patch.
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.
From vendor dataApply vendor-supplied kernel/firmware patches and update to the latest Android security patch level. Prioritize devices that process untrusted image content.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-5871 — 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-2016-5871 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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