CVE-2019-14054
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 · uneditedImproper permissions in XBL_SEC region enable user to update XBL_SEC code and data and divert the RAM dump path to normal cold boot path in Snapdragon Compute, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Wired Infrastructure and Networking in Kamorta, MSM8998, QCS404, QCS605, SDA660, SDA845, SDM630, SDM636, SDM660, SDM670, SDM710, SDM845, SDM850, SM8150, SXR1130, SXR2130
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 confidenceImproper permission checks in the XBL_SEC (secure executable bootloader) region allow a user to update XBL_SEC code and data, and redirect the RAM dump path to the normal cold boot path. This could enable code injection or tampering with the secure boot chain.
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 versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Qualcomm chipset modelDetermine the exact Qualcomm processor/SoC model in the device (e.g., through /proc/cpuinfo, bootloader info, or device documentation)Affected if The chipset matches any of: Kamorta, Msm8998, Qcs404, Qcs605, Sda660, Sda845, Sdm630, Sdm636
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Verify XBL_SEC region permission configurationInspect the XBL_SEC (secure executable bootloader) region settings through firmware analysis tools, debug interfaces, or vendor-provided security documentation - look for permission flags on the XBL_SEC code and data sectionsAffected if The XBL_SEC region allows user-mode or non-privileged updates to secure bootloader code or data, or shows write permissions where read-only should be enforced
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Check RAM dump path configurationExamine the RAM dump path configuration in the bootloader or secure boot settings - verify if the dump path can be redirected from the secure cold boot path to an alternate locationAffected if The RAM dump path is configurable or redirectable to a path other than the designated secure cold boot path
A device is affected if it uses any of the listed Qualcomm chipsets and exhibits improper permission controls on the XBL_SEC region or allows RAM dump path redirection away from the secure cold boot path.
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 Qualcomm that patch the XBL_SEC permission boundaries; device OEMs must deploy the patch through their update channels.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-14054 — 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-2019-14054 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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