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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2018-9397

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
In WMT_unlocked_ioctl of MTK WMT device driver, there is a possible OOB write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

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 confidence

CVE-2018-9397 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the WMT_unlocked_ioctl function of MediaTek's WMT (Wireless Multimedia Terminal) device driver. The vulnerability stems from a missing bounds check that allows writing beyond allocated buffer boundaries, potentially enabling a local attacker with System privileges to escalate privileges further or execute arbitrary code in kernel context.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for the MTK WMT driver that adds proper bounds validation before memory operations in the ioctl handler. If a patch is unavailable, consider disabling the WMT driver if not required for device functionality.

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
AndroidOperating 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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 the chipset vendor
    Check /proc/cpuinfo or use getprop ro.hardware to determine if the device uses a MediaTek (MTK) chipset
    Affected if The device uses a MediaTek chipset - non-MediaTek devices are not affected by this vulnerability
  2. Verify WMT driver presence
    Check if the WMT driver is loaded by examining /proc/modules, lsmod output, or looking for wmt_module or similar WMT-related kernel modules
    Affected if The WMT driver is not loaded or not present - the vulnerability only applies when the driver is active
  3. Confirm Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone to see the Android version
    Affected if All Android versions on affected MediaTek devices are considered vulnerable if the WMT driver is present and unpatched
  4. Check for vendor security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the installed security patch date; compare against the patch date for CVE-2018-9397
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor patch that addresses this CVE - patch dates vary by carrier and OEM

A user is affected if they have a MediaTek-based Android device with the WMT driver loaded and a security patch level predating the CVE-2018-9397 fix.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch for the MTK WMT driver that adds proper bounds validation before memory operations in the ioctl handler. If a patch is unavailable, consider disabling the WMT driver if not required for device functionality.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level July 2018 or later (containing the MediaTek WMT driver fix for CVE-2018-9397)

  1. 1. Check current Android security patch level on the device: Go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Ensure the device has the July 2018 Android Security Update or later installed, as this CVE was addressed in the July 2018 Android Security Bulletin
  3. 3. If the device is not receiving updates from the OEM, consider upgrading to a device that receives regular security updates
  4. 4. For enterprise/managed devices, apply the latest available system updates through your mobile device management (MDM) console
  5. 5. Verify the security patch level has been updated after applying the update
Caveat Applying monthly security updates carries minimal risk; however, ensure backup of important data before updating as a precautionary measure

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2018-9397 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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