CVE-2018-11873
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 WLAN roam buffer in Snapdragon Mobile in version SD 845.
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 confidenceImproper input validation in the WLAN function that handles the WLAN roam buffer allows a buffer overwrite vulnerability in Snapdragon Mobile SD 845. This could allow an attacker within adjacent network range to potentially execute code or cause denial of service via crafted roam handling.
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 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.
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Identify the chipset in useCheck system information or kernel logs for Snapdragon SD 845 or check /proc/cpuinfo for 'sd845' or 'snapdragon 845' identifiers. On Android, check Settings > About Phone > SoC details.Affected if The device does not have a Snapdragon SD 845 chipset, as this vulnerability only affects that specific firmware.
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Verify WLAN is enabledCheck if wireless interfaces exist using 'ip link show' or 'iwconfig', or check if WiFi is turned on in the device network settings.Affected if WLAN is actively enabled and the device is using WiFi connectivity.
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Confirm WiFi roam capability is activeInspect WiFi configuration files (such as wpa_supplicant.conf or NetworkManager configs) for roam-related settings, or check if the device is configured to connect to multiple access points with the same SSID.Affected if The device has roaming enabled and is actively connecting to or capable of connecting to multiple access points.
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Check adjacent network exposureDetermine if the device is used in environments where untrusted or adjacent WiFi networks are present, or if WiFi is used in public spaces.Affected if The device connects to WiFi networks in range of potentially malicious actors, as the attack requires adjacent network proximity.
The user is affected if the device uses a Snapdragon SD 845 chipset with WLAN enabled and roam capability active in an environment where adjacent network attacks are possible.
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 the Qualcomm firmware/security patch for SD 845 once available through device OEM firmware updates; until then, minimize use of WiFi in untrusted environments.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11873 — 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-2018-11873 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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