CVE-2021-35072
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 · uneditedPossible buffer overflow due to improper validation of array index while processing external DIAG command in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Industrial IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music, Snapdragon Wearables
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors where improper validation of array index during external DIAG command processing allows memory corruption. The vulnerability stems from missing bounds checking on array indices before accessing memory, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or denial of service.
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 Snapdragon model in useExamine the device hardware specifications, bootloader information, or system-on-chip (SoC) identification. On Linux-based devices, check /proc/cpuinfo or review the kernel boot logs for the chipset identifier.Affected if The device uses any of the following models: Apq8009, Apq8009w, Apq8017, Apq8037, Apq8053, Apq8096au, Mdm9150, or Mdm9206
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Check the firmware versionRetrieve the firmware version from the device. On Qualcomm-based devices, this may be available via AT commands (such as AT+CGMR or ATI), through the DIAG diagnostic port, or by examining firmware image metadata if accessible.Affected if The firmware version corresponds to any of the affected products listed in the CVE (all versions of Apq8009, Apq8009w, Apq8017, Apq8037, Apq8053, Apq8096au, Mdm9150, Mdm9206)
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Determine if the DIAG diagnostic interface is enabledCheck whether the DIAG (Diagnostic) interface is accessible on the device. This may involve attempting to access the DIAG serial port (often exposed via USB or UART), checking for DIAG-related kernel modules, or verifying if DIAG protocol handlers are active in the system.Affected if The DIAG diagnostic interface is enabled and accessible (locally via UART or remotely via network), as the vulnerability is triggered through external DIAG command processing
The device is affected if it contains any of the listed Qualcomm Snapdragon models (Apq8009, Apq8009w, Apq8017, Apq8037, Apq8053, Apq8096au, Mdm9150, Mdm9206) and has the DIAG diagnostic interface enabled or exposed.
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-provided firmware updates for affected Snapdragon components. Until patches are available, limit exposure by restricting access to DIAG diagnostic interfaces and network adjacency to vulnerable devices.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,320.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-35072 — 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-2021-35072 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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