dbcve.org
Apq8053 FirmwareOperating system · Qualcomm

CVE-2019-14020

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-16
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
Multiple Read overflows issue due to improper length check while decoding dedicated_eps_bearer_req/ act_def_context_req/ cs_serv_notification/ emm_info/ guti_realloc_cmd in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wearables in APQ8053, APQ8076, APQ8096, APQ8096AU, APQ8098, MDM9150, MDM9205, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9615, MDM9625, MDM9635M, MDM9640, MDM9645, MDM9650, MDM9655, MSM8905, MSM8909, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8920, MSM8937, MSM8940, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, MSM8998, Nicobar, QCM2150, QCS605, QM215, Rennell, SC7180, SC8180X, SDA660, SDA845, SDM429, SDM429W, 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

A critical read overflow vulnerability exists in Qualcomm Snapdragon baseband processors due to improper length validation when decoding multiple 3GPP NAS (Non-Access Stratum) protocol messages including dedicated_eps_bearer_req, act_def_context_req, cs_serv_notification, emm_info, and guti_realloc_cmd. The lack of bounds checking during message parsing allows memory reads beyond allocated buffers, potentially exposing sensitive data or facilitating code execution.

MitigationThis is a firmware-level vulnerability requiring patches from Qualcomm and subsequent OEM/device firmware updates. Organizations must identify affected devices, verify patch availability from device vendors, and apply available updates. No application-layer workarounds exist.

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
Apq8053 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Apq8076 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
Mdm9205 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
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 device chipset model
    Check the device specifications or use commands like 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on Android, or check the baseband processor identification via AT commands (AT+CGMM or similar)
    Affected if The chipset is one of: Apq8053, Apq8076, Apq8096, Apq8096au, Apq8098, Mdm9150, Mdm9205, or Mdm9206
  2. Determine the baseband firmware version
    Query the modem firmware version via Android system info, or use AT command 'AT+CGMR' (may require root or manufacturer tools)
    Affected if The firmware version is any version - all versions of the listed chipsets are affected
  3. Verify the device uses 3GPP NAS protocol
    Confirm the device connects to cellular networks using 3GPP standards (LTE/5G) - this is the default for most mobile devices; no specific config check needed
    Affected if The device supports and uses 3GPP cellular network protocols (most mobile devices)
  4. Check for OEM security patches
    Review the device's baseband/modem patch level in Android security patch settings (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level) or contact the device manufacturer
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor patch that addresses CVE-2019-14020 (specific dates vary by OEM)

The device is affected if it uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets (Apq8053, Apq8076, Apq8096, Apq8096au, Apq8098, Mdm9150, Mdm9205, Mdm9206) and the baseband firmware has not been patched by the OEM.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

This is a firmware-level vulnerability requiring patches from Qualcomm and subsequent OEM/device firmware updates. Organizations must identify affected devices, verify patch availability from device vendors, and apply available updates. No application-layer workarounds exist.

Fix this in Apq8053 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
25.0 hours of engineering $4,380
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,008.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-14020 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2019-14020 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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