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Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2017-14911

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-03-30
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 2018-01-05 on Qualcomm Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Automobile APQ8096AU, MDM9206, MDM9650, MSM8996AU, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 425, SD 430, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 820, SD 835, it is possible for the XBL loader to skip the authentication of device config.

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 confidence

The XBL (eXtensible Boot Loader) on affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets contains a flaw that allows it to bypass authentication checks for device configuration data. This enables unsigned or tampered boot-time code to execute, compromising the security chain of trust from the earliest boot stage.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch from the January 2018 Android Security Bulletin to update the XBL bootloader firmware on affected devices. This is a firmware-level fix requiring coordination with device OEMs and may not be available for all affected products, particularly legacy IoT devices.

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
Apq8096au FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Msm8996au FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 210 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 212 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 205 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 425 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 device specifications, /proc/cpuinfo, or for modems use AT commands like 'AT+CGMM' to query the modem model. For IoT devices, review hardware documentation or use tools like 'lspci' or 'lsusb' to enumerate hardware components.
    Affected if The chipset matches one of the affected models: Mdm9206, Apq8096au, Msm8996au, Mdm9650, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, or SD 425.
  2. Determine the XBL bootloader firmware version
    Access the bootloader version through device diagnostics, fastboot mode with 'fastboot getvar all', or proprietary Qualcomm tools like Sahara/EDL mode. On some devices, the version may be visible in boot logs or /vendor/boot/boot.img metadata.
    Affected if The XBL firmware version is present and can be compared against the patched version from the January 2018 Android Security Bulletin.
  3. Check if the device has received the January 2018 security patch
    Verify the Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Build Number, or via 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' command. For non-Android devices, check the firmware changelog or contact the OEM for patch status.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than January 2018, or the device has not received the vendor-supplied XBL firmware update.
  4. Verify secure boot configuration status
    Check if secure boot is enabled in the bootloader settings. On supported devices, use 'fastboot oem debug' or review the device's verified boot state via 'dm-verity' status or /sys/kernel/boot_params/data.
    Affected if Secure boot is disabled or in a debug/diagnostic mode that allows loading unsigned code.

The device is affected if it contains one of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Mdm9206, Apq8096au, Msm8996au, Mdm9650, SD 210, SD 212, SD 205, or SD 425) and the XBL bootloader has not been updated with the January 2018 vendor 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 patch from the January 2018 Android Security Bulletin to update the XBL bootloader firmware on affected devices. This is a firmware-level fix requiring coordination with device OEMs and may not be available for all affected products, particularly legacy IoT devices.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android security patch level 2018-01-05 or later (check with device OEM for specific firmware version containing this fix)

  1. 1. Identify the current Android security patch level on the affected device by going to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  2. 2. Verify if the device is running a security patch level dated 2018-01-05 or later
  3. 3. If the patch level is before 2018-01-05, check with the device manufacturer (OEM) for available firmware updates that include the January 2018 Android security bulletin or later
  4. 4. Apply the available system/firmware update from the device manufacturer
  5. 5. After updating, confirm the security patch level has advanced to 2018-01-05 or later to verify the vulnerability is addressed
  6. 6. If no update is available from the OEM, consider replacing the device with a model that receives regular security updates
Caveat Risk: Firmware updates may have compatibility issues with existing applications or configurations; some older devices may not receive updates due to end-of-life status

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

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation12.0 h
  • Implementation20.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
56.0 hours of engineering $9,840
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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-2017-14911 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