CVE-2018-3624
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in ETWS processing module Intel XMM71xx, XMM72xx, XMM73xx, XMM74xx and Sofia 3G/R allows remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code via an adjacent network.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System) processing module of Intel XMM71xx-XMM74xx and Sofia 3G/R cellular modem firmware. An attacker on the adjacent network can send specially crafted packets that overflow a buffer, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on the modem firmware.
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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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 cellular modem hardware modelAccess the device management interface or use AT command 'AT+CGMM' to query the modem model. Check system logs or hardware inventory for modem chipset information (e.g., Intel XMM71xx-XMM74xx or Sofia 3G/R).Affected if The modem uses an Intel XMM71xx-XMM74xx, Sofia 3G/R, or Intel 2G chipset.
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Retrieve the installed firmware versionQuery the modem firmware version via AT command 'AT+CGMR' or through the device's administrative interface. Compare the firmware version string against any release notes or vendor documentation.Affected if The firmware version matches an affected chipset (XMM71xx-XMM74xx, Sofia 3G/R) or the device runs Intel 2G modem firmware.
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Verify ETWS module statusCheck if the ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System) processing feature is enabled on the modem. This may be accessible via AT commands (such as 'AT+ETWS?' if supported) or through the modem configuration settings in the device management interface.Affected if The ETWS module is enabled and actively processing warnings on the modem.
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Review network exposureExamine the network topology to determine if the modem is directly exposed to adjacent network attackers. Check firewall rules, access control lists, and network segmentation policies around the cellular modem interface.Affected if The modem is accessible from an adjacent network without proper filtering, allowing external attackers to send crafted packets.
A user is affected if their device contains an Intel XMM71xx-XMM74xx, Sofia 3G/R, or Intel 2G cellular modem with the ETWS module enabled and reachable from an adjacent network.
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 updates from Intel for affected modem chipsets. If no update available, consider network segmentation to limit adjacent network attack surface and monitor for indicators of compromise.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-3624 — 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-2018-3624 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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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
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