dbcve.org
Apq8009 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2019-10525

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Buffer overflow during SIB read when network configures complete sib list along with first and last segment of other SIB in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon IoT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9150, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8939, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCM2150, QCS605, QM215, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM439, SDM450, SDM630, SDM632, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SDX20, SDX24, SDX55, SM6150, SM7150, SM8150, SXR1130

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 confidence

Buffer overflow in Qualcomm baseband/modem firmware during System Information Block (SIB) reading. When a cellular network configures a complete SIB list simultaneously with first and last segments of another SIB, a buffer overflow occurs during the SIB read operation, potentially allowing remote code execution in the baseband processor context.

MitigationApply vendor-provided firmware updates from Qualcomm; device manufacturers must integrate the patched baseband/MODEM firmware and distribute via carrier or OTA updates. No workarounds available for this hardware/firmware-level vulnerability.

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
Apq8009 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8017 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8053 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8096 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8096au FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8098 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9150 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Mdm9206 FirmwareOperating 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 device chipset model
    Check the device specifications or use system info commands (e.g., 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on Android, or check device kernel logs) to identify the Qualcomm APQ or MDM chipset model number
    Affected if The chipset is one of: Apq8009, Apq8017, Apq8053, Apq8096, Apq8096au, Apq8098, Mdm9150, or Mdm9206
  2. Determine baseband/modem firmware version
    On Android, use 'AT+CGMR' (via terminal app or serial debug) or check Settings > About Phone > Baseband version; on other platforms consult vendor documentation for baseband firmware retrieval method
    Affected if Any firmware version is installed on an affected chipset (all versions of listed chipsets are vulnerable)
  3. Verify modem is active
    Check that the cellular modem functionality is enabled and the device can connect to mobile networks; verify modem interface exists (e.g., /dev/radio/* on Android or check 'at' device nodes)
    Affected if The modem is powered on and operational (the vulnerability triggers during SIB reading by an active network connection)
  4. Confirm network registration capability
    Verify the device can register on cellular networks; check for valid IMEI and carrier connection capability
    Affected if The device can connect to carrier networks (the malformed SIB must be delivered by a cellular network for the overflow to trigger)

The environment is affected if the device uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Apq8009, Apq8017, Apq8053, Apq8096, Apq8096au, Apq8098, Mdm9150, Mdm9206) with any baseband firmware version and has an active cellular modem connection.

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 vendor-provided firmware updates from Qualcomm; device manufacturers must integrate the patched baseband/MODEM firmware and distribute via carrier or OTA updates. No workarounds available for this hardware/firmware-level vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Firmware update from device manufacturer containing Qualcomm patch (contact Qualcomm or OEM for specific fixed firmware versions)

  1. 1. Identify the specific device model and carrier/manufacturer using the affected Snapdragon chipset (APQ8009, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8096, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9150, MDM9206, or the additional chipsets listed).
  2. 2. Check with the device manufacturer (OEM) for available firmware/security updates that address this vulnerability.
  3. 3. Apply the manufacturer-provided firmware update that includes the Qualcomm patch for CVE-2019-10525.
  4. 4. Verify the patch was successfully applied by confirming the device runs the updated firmware version.
Caveat Firmware updates may have compatibility considerations; ensure backup of device data before applying updates

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

Fix this in Apq8009 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing24.0 h
  • Review / QA12.0 h
60.0 hours of engineering $10,240
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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-2019-10525 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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