CVE-2018-5822
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 · uneditedIn Qualcomm Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, and QRD Android with all Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel before security patch level 2018-04-05, compromised WLAN FW can potentially cause a buffer overwrite.
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 confidenceA buffer overwrite vulnerability exists in the WLAN firmware of Qualcomm mobile processors. When the firmware is compromised, it can overwrite memory buffers, potentially allowing execution of arbitrary code or denial of service. This affects Android devices using Qualcomm MSM chipsets with Linux kernel versions prior to the April 2018 security patch level.
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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
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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Verify the device is running AndroidCheck the operating system on the device. This CVE only affects Android devices.Affected if The device is not running Android - the vulnerability does not apply.
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Confirm the device uses a Qualcomm MSM chipsetCheck the device hardware specifications or use commands like 'getprop ro.board.platform' or 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' to identify the chipset. Qualcomm MSM (Mobile Station Modem) chipsets are the affected products.Affected if The device does not use a Qualcomm MSM chipset - the vulnerability does not apply.
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Check the Android security patch levelOn the device, go to Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level, or use 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to retrieve the patch level date.Affected if The security patch level is earlier than April 2018, indicating the device likely has the vulnerable WLAN firmware.
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Inspect WLAN firmware version if accessibleCheck the WLAN firmware version through vendor-specific diagnostic tools, or review /sys/class/net/wlan0/device/firmware_version if available on the device.Affected if The WLAN firmware version corresponds to the vulnerable release predating the April 2018 update.
The device is affected if it is an Android device with a Qualcomm MSM chipset that has not received the April 2018 Android security patch level.
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 April 2018 Android security patch level or later, which includes updated WLAN firmware from Qualcomm. Users should ensure their devices receive manufacturer-provided system/firmware updates.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-5822 — 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-2018-5822 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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- 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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