CVE-2017-18160
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 · uneditedAGPS session failure in GNSS module due to cyphersuites are hardcoded and needed manual update everytime in snapdragon mobile and snapdragon wear in versions MDM9635M, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850
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 confidenceHardcoded cipher suites in the GNSS module's AGPS functionality on Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile and wearable processors (MDM9635M, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850) cause session failures and create a critical vulnerability. The static cipher configurations cannot be updated automatically, potentially allowing use of weak or compromised cryptographic algorithms.
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 versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall 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.
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Identify the processor modelCheck the device or system information to determine the exact Qualcomm Snapdragon or MDM chipset model (e.g., via /proc/cpuinfo on Android, or system diagnostics on wearable devices)Affected if The processor model matches MDM9635M, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8909W, SD 835, SD 845, or SD 850
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Verify GNSS/AGPS functionality is in useConfirm that the device uses Assisted GPS (AGPS) services through the GNSS module - check location settings, GPS status, or relevant system logs indicating AGPS connectionsAffected if AGPS functionality is enabled or actively used on the device
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Check GNSS firmware versionQuery the GNSS subsystem firmware version through diagnostic tools, AT commands (if available), or vendor-specific debugging interfaces - look for the modem or baseband firmware version stringAffected if The firmware version cannot be updated or is confirmed to be an older release without vendor cipher suite updates
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Review cipher suite configurationExamine any accessible configuration files or logs related to GNSS/AGPS connections for the presence of hardcoded or static cipher definitions - note that detailed cipher inspection may require vendor tooling or firmware analysisAffected if Hardcoded cipher suites are observed in GNSS/AGPS configuration that cannot be modified through normal settings
A device is affected if it contains one of the listed Qualcomm Snapdragon or MDM chipsets and uses GNSS/AGPS functionality with firmware that contains hardcoded, non-updatable cipher configurations.
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 firmware updates for affected Snapdragon devices to refresh the hardcoded cipher suites in the GNSS module; coordinate with device OEMs for patch deployment.
- 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-2017-18160 — 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-2017-18160 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
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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
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