dbcve.org
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2017-18139

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 Mobile and Snapdragon Wear MDM9206, MDM9607, 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 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, a buffer overflow vulnerability may potentially exist while making an IMS call.

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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) component of Qualcomm Snapdragon baseband/modem firmware. The flaw affects multiple Snapdragon mobile and wearable chipsets (MDM9206 through SD 850) and can be triggered during IMS calls. At CVSS 9.8, this is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the baseband processor that could allow an attacker to compromise the device through specially crafted IMS signaling.

MitigationApply the April 2018 Android security patch level or later, which contains the Qualcomm fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should inventory affected devices and work with OEM vendors to obtain and deploy firmware updates.

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
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
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 baseband chipset model
    Check the device specifications or use AT commands (e.g., AT+CGMR or AT+QVERSION) to query the modem firmware. On Android, also check /proc/cpuinfo or use apps that display chipset info.
    Affected if The chipset matches one of the affected models: MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, or MSM8909W
  2. Check the baseband/modem firmware version
    Query the modem using AT command AT+CGMR (or ATI on some devices) to retrieve the firmware version string. On Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Baseband version, or use *#*#4636#*#* to access testing info.
    Affected if The firmware version is any version (all versions of the affected chipsets are vulnerable)
  3. Verify if IMS feature is enabled
    On Android, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names, or check Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Network > Advanced > Access Point Names. Look for IMS APN settings or check if IMS is registered via *#*#4636#*#* > Phone information.
    Affected if IMS is enabled and active on the device (the vulnerability is triggered during IMS calls)
  4. Check the Android security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level. This displays the month and year of the applied security updates.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 2018, indicating the Qualcomm fix has not been applied

A user is affected if their device uses one of the listed chipsets with any firmware version, has IMS enabled, and has not received the April 2018 or later Android security 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 April 2018 Android security patch level or later, which contains the Qualcomm fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should inventory affected devices and work with OEM vendors to obtain and deploy firmware updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later

  1. 1. Identify the device manufacturer and model that contains the affected Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset
  2. 2. Check the current Android security patch level on the device (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level)
  3. 3. Apply the Android security update for April 2018 or later (Settings > System > Security > Security Update)
  4. 4. If the device manufacturer has not released an update with the April 2018 patch level, contact the device vendor for firmware availability
  5. 5. Verify after update that the Security Patch Level shows April 5, 2018 or later
Caveat Some older devices may no longer receive monthly security updates from their manufacturers; consider upgrading to a device with active security support

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-2017-18139 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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