dbcve.org
Sd 835 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2018-11856

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-10-29
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
Improper input validation leads to buffer overwrite in the WLAN function that handles WMI commands in Snapdragon Mobile in version 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 · high confidence

Improper input validation in the WLAN function that handles WMI (Wireless Management Interface) commands allows a buffer overwrite vulnerability in Snapdragon Mobile chipsets SD 835, SD 845, and SD 850. This could allow a local privileged attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via specially crafted WMI commands.

MitigationApply the Qualcomm firmware/security patch for CVE-2018-11856 provided by the device OEM. For end-of-life devices no longer receiving updates, consider network-level segmentation to limit exposure and monitor for indicators of compromise.

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
Sd 835 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 845 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Sd 850 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 chipset model
    Check device specifications or system information to determine if the device uses Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 835, SD 845, or SD 850 chipset. This can typically be found in device settings under 'About Phone' or through diagnostic apps.
    Affected if Device uses any of the listed chipset models (SD 835, SD 845, or SD 850)
  2. Check firmware version
    Retrieve the baseband or WLAN firmware version from the device. On Android, this is often found in Settings under 'About Phone' > 'Software Information' or by entering *#*#4636#*#* for diagnostic info. The baseband version string typically contains the firmware build date and version.
    Affected if Firmware version cannot be verified as patched or is from a date prior to the security patch release for this CVE
  3. Verify OEM security patch level
    Check the device's Android security patch level in Settings under 'About Phone' > 'Security Patch Level' or 'Software Information'. Compare this date against the month when the CVE patch was released by the device OEM.
    Affected if Security patch level is missing, older than the OEM release date for CVE-2018-11856, or the OEM has not released an update for this CVE
  4. Check vendor advisory status
    Consult the device manufacturer's security advisory page or support documentation to see if they have publicly acknowledged and released a fix for CVE-2018-11856. Search for the CVE ID along with the device model name.
    Affected if OEM has not released a security update addressing this CVE or the device is end-of-life with no update path
  5. Monitor for compromise indicators
    Review device for unusual behavior such as unexpected WLAN service restarts, unexplained network activity, or unauthorized modifications to system files. Check system logs in developer settings for WMI-related error messages or crashes in the WLAN subsystem.
    Affected if WLAN component crashes, unusual network behavior, or evidence of exploitation attempts are observed

A device is affected if it contains a Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 835, SD 845, or SD 850 chipset and has not received a vendor firmware/security patch addressing CVE-2018-11856.

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 the Qualcomm firmware/security patch for CVE-2018-11856 provided by the device OEM. For end-of-life devices no longer receiving updates, consider network-level segmentation to limit exposure and monitor for indicators of compromise.

Fix this in Sd 835 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,840
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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-2018-11856 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