Ipq8074 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2018-11821

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-10-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Possible integer overflow may happen in WLAN during memory allocation in Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wear in version IPQ8074, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9650, SD 425, SD 427, SD 430, SD 435, SD 450, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 835, SD 845, SD 850, SDA660, SDM630, SDM632, 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

Integer overflow vulnerability in WLAN component during memory allocation in multiple Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset variants. The overflow occurs when calculating memory allocation sizes, potentially allowing a local attacker to cause heap overflow or arbitrary code execution by triggering the overflow through maliciously crafted WLAN frames or operations.

MitigationApply firmware/security updates provided by device OEMs that include the Qualcomm patch. Since this is a chipset-level firmware vulnerability in the WLAN component, users must obtain updates from their device manufacturers or carriers.

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
Ipq8074 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9607 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9650 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 425 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 427 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 430 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 435 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 the device specifications, system information, or boot logs to determine the exact Qualcomm Snapdragon or modem chipset (Sd 425, Sd 427, Sd 430, Sd 435, Ipq8074, Mdm9206, Mdm9607, or Mdm9650)
    Affected if The device uses any of the listed chipsets: Ipq8074, Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9650, Sd 425, Sd 427, Sd 430, or Sd 435
  2. Determine the WLAN firmware version
    Query the WLAN driver or firmware interface using commands such as 'iw list', 'wlan0' status commands, or vendor-specific diagnostic tools to retrieve the installed WLAN firmware version
    Affected if The WLAN firmware version cannot be verified as patched or is older than vendor-specific patched releases
  3. Verify the WLAN interface is active
    Check if the WLAN interface is enabled and operational using commands like 'ip link show', 'iwconfig', or network status checks
    Affected if The WLAN interface is active and processing network traffic, making it possible to receive maliciously crafted WLAN frames
  4. Confirm firmware version from vendor
    Contact the device OEM or carrier to verify the applied Qualcomm firmware patch level, or check device update settings for available security updates
    Affected if The device OEM or carrier has not released or applied a firmware update that addresses this specific CVE

The device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Ipq8074, Mdm9206, Mdm9607, Mdm9650, Sd 425, Sd 427, Sd 430, Sd 435) and the WLAN component is active without the vendor-specific security patch applied.

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 firmware/security updates provided by device OEMs that include the Qualcomm patch. Since this is a chipset-level firmware vulnerability in the WLAN component, users must obtain updates from their device manufacturers or carriers.

Fix this in Ipq8074 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2018-11821 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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