CVE-2015-9120
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets allows attackers to exploit an error condition detection failure in the core processor. It affects Android devices with specific Qualcomm chips before the April 2018 security patch. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets: IPQ4019, MDM9206, MDM9607, MSM8909W, SD 210/SD 212/SD 205, SD 400, SD 410/12, SD 425, SD 430, SD 450, SD 600, SD 615/16/SD 415, SD 617, SD 625, SD 650/52, SD 800, SD 808, SD 810, SD 820, SD 820A, SD 835
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device compromise allowing remote code execution with kernel privileges, potentially enabling persistent backdoor installation, data theft, and device control.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing malware to gain kernel-level access, bypassing Android's security sandbox and accessing sensitive system resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper security patches applied and device isolation from untrusted networks.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires kernel-level access and understanding of Qualcomm chipset architecture. No public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security patch level April 5, 2018 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-04-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check device security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android security patch level. 2. If before April 2018, apply latest Android security updates from device manufacturer. 3. For enterprise devices, push updates through MDM solution. 4. Restart device after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks and limit network access
Application whitelisting
androidRestrict installation of untrusted applications to reduce attack surface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices on separate network segments with strict firewall rules
- Implement application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android security patch level. If date is before April 2018, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows April 2018 or later date after applying updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- Unexpected system crashes
- Privilege escalation attempts in audit logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from system processes
- Suspicious inter-process communication patterns
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND ("kernel panic" OR "segfault" OR "privilege escalation")