CVE-2018-11872
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 · uneditedImproper input validation leads to buffer overwrite in the WLAN function that handles WMI commands in Snapdragon Mobile in version SD 845, SD 850, SDA660
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 confidenceImproper input validation in the WLAN function that handles WMI (Wireless Management Interface) commands allows a buffer overwrite vulnerability in affected Snapdragon Mobile chipsets (SD 845, SD 850, SDA660). This could allow adjacent attackers to potentially execute code or cause denial of service via specially crafted WMI commands.
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 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the device chipset modelDetermine the specific Snapdragon chipset model used in the affected device. On Android devices, this can typically be found in Settings > About Phone > Model/Hardware, or via terminal commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' or 'getprop ro.hardware'. Check for the exact Snapdragon model number.Affected if The device uses a Snapdragon SD 845, SD 850, or SDA660 chipset.
-
Verify the WLAN firmware versionQuery the WLAN firmware version through the device's diagnostic interface or via terminal commands such as 'wcnss_service' logs, 'dmesg | grep wlan', or manufacturer-specific diagnostic tools. The exact command varies by OEM.Affected if The WLAN firmware is present and all versions of SD 845, SD 850, and SDA660 are considered affected per the CVE scope.
-
Confirm WLAN interface is activeVerify that the WLAN interface is enabled and operational on the device. This can be checked via 'ip link show' or 'iw dev' commands in a root-enabled terminal, or through the device's network settings status.Affected if WLAN is enabled and the device is using one of the affected chipset firmware versions.
-
Check WMI interface accessibilityAssess whether the WMI (Wireless Management Interface) is exposed or accessible. This typically requires access to the WLAN driver debug interface or firmware debugging logs. The WMI service usually runs as part of the wcnss (WLAN Core) process.Affected if The WMI interface is active and the underlying firmware is from an affected chipset version.
A user is affected if their device contains a Snapdragon SD 845, SD 850, or SDA660 chipset with WLAN firmware running, as all firmware versions of these chipsets are vulnerable to the WMI buffer overflow.
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 patches from the device OEM; until patches are available, restrict WLAN connectivity to trusted networks and monitor for anomalous device behavior.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,320.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11872 — 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-2018-11872 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data