dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2017-18136

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-04-11
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 security patch level 2018-04-05 on Qualcomm Snapdragon Automobile, Snapdragon Mobile, and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9650, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 808, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835, SD 845, in the omx aac component, a Use After Free condition may potentially 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 confidence

A Use After Free (UAF) vulnerability exists in the OMX AAC (OpenMAX Advanced Audio Coding) component of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. This memory corruption flaw allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code by exploiting freed memory that is still being referenced, leading to complete system compromise.

MitigationApply the April 2018 or later security patch level for affected Android devices. Since this is a firmware-level vulnerability in Snapdragon chipsets, users must rely on OEM-provided OTA updates. Organizations should identify and track all affected devices in their fleet.

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
Mdm9615 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9635m FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9640 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Msm8909w FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 210 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
    Check the device specifications or use commands like `cat /proc/cpuinfo` on Android, or check the device's technical documentation to determine the exact Snapdragon chipset (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9615, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, or Sd 210)
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed affected chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9615, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210)
  2. Check the Android security patch level
    On Android devices, go to Settings > About Phone > Software Information and view the 'Security patch level', or use `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 2018 (the fix was released in the April 2018 Android Security Bulletin)
  3. Check the baseband firmware version
    Use `getprop` commands via ADB (e.g., `getprop ro.baseband`, `getprop gsm.version.baseband`) or check in Settings > About Phone > Mobile Network Information
    Affected if The baseband firmware version corresponds to an unpatched release before the April 2018 Qualcomm security update
  4. Verify if OMX AAC decoder is in use
    Check if the device uses the OpenMAX (OMX) AAC audio decoding component by monitoring audio sessions or reviewing audio HAL configuration files in /vendor/etc/ or /system/etc/
    Affected if The device actively uses the OMX AAC decoder component - this is the vulnerable component where the UAF occurs

The device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets (Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9615, Mdm9635m, Mdm9640, Mdm9650, Msm8909w, Sd 210) AND has a security patch level before 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 the April 2018 or later security patch level for affected Android devices. Since this is a firmware-level vulnerability in Snapdragon chipsets, users must rely on OEM-provided OTA updates. Organizations should identify and track all affected devices in their fleet.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Patch Level 2018-04-05 or later (contact device manufacturer for specific firmware versions)

  1. Check the current Android security patch level on the device (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level)
  2. If the device shows a date before April 2018, check with the device manufacturer or carrier for an available update that includes the April 2018 security patch level
  3. Apply the OTA update or firmware update containing the 2018-04-05 security patch or later
  4. Verify after update that the Security Patch Level reflects April 2018 or newer
  5. For end-of-life devices that cannot receive official updates, consider device replacement as no further vendor patches are expected for this vulnerability
Caveat Older devices may reach end-of-life status and no longer receive security updates from the manufacturer

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

Fix this in Mdm9206 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2017-18136 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