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Qca9379 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2017-18171

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-10-23
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Improper input validation for GATT data packet received in Bluetooth Controller function can lead to possible memory corruption in Snapdragon Mobile in version QCA9379, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 820, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM710, Snapdragon_High_Med_2016.

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

Improper input validation in the Bluetooth Controller's GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) data packet handling allows a nearby attacker to send specially crafted GATT data that can cause memory corruption. This is a buffer overflow or type confusion vulnerability in the Bluetooth firmware/hardware layer affecting multiple Snapdragon chipset generations.

MitigationApply vendor firmware updates from Qualcomm/OEM device manufacturers that address the Bluetooth Controller input validation. Until patched, limit Bluetooth exposure to trusted devices and disable Bluetooth when not in use.

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
Qca9379 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 410 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 412 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 425 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 427 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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:A/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 Bluetooth controller chipset
    Check system information or device specifications to determine if the device uses a Qualcomm chipset (Qca9379, Sd 210, Sd 212, Sd 205, Sd 410, Sd 412, Sd 425, or Sd 427). On Linux, check 'lspci' or 'lsusb' for Bluetooth adapter info, or check the device's hardware documentation.
    Affected if The device contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Qca9379, SD210, SD212, SD205, SD410, SD412, SD425, or SD427)
  2. Retrieve the Bluetooth controller firmware version
    Use HCI commands to query the firmware version. On Linux, run 'hciconfig hci0 version' or 'hcitool -i hci0 ver'. On Android, check under Settings > About Phone > Bluetooth SIG version or use 'dumpsys bluetooth_manager'.
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or the Bluetooth controller does not support version query commands (common on embedded devices)
  3. Verify Bluetooth is enabled
    Check if Bluetooth is turned on in the device settings or via command line. On Linux, run 'rfkill list' or check 'hciconfig hci0' for 'UP' status. On Android, check Bluetooth toggle state.
    Affected if Bluetooth is currently enabled and the device uses an affected Qualcomm chipset
  4. Confirm GATT client/server functionality is active
    GATT is used whenever Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) services are advertised or accessed. Check for active BLE connections or services using 'hcitool lewl' (BLE whitelist) or monitor BLE advertisements. On Android, check for apps using Bluetooth LE in settings or running processes.
    Affected if BLE is actively being used (advertising or connected) and the device contains an affected chipset

The device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm Bluetooth chipsets (Qca9379, SD210, SD212, SD205, SD410, SD412, SD425, or SD427) and has Bluetooth enabled, since all firmware versions for these chipsets are vulnerable.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor firmware updates from Qualcomm/OEM device manufacturers that address the Bluetooth Controller input validation. Until patched, limit Bluetooth exposure to trusted devices and disable Bluetooth when not in use.

Fix this in Qca9379 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation24.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
56.0 hours of engineering $9,760
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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-2017-18171 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
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