CVE-2015-9172
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to read beyond allocated memory boundaries in Qualcomm Snapdragon devices running Android before April 2018 security patches. It affects a WideVine API function and could lead to information disclosure or system compromise. The vulnerability impacts numerous Snapdragon chipsets across automotive, mobile, and wearables platforms.
💻 Affected Systems
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Automobile
- Snapdragon Mobile
- Snapdragon Wear MDM9206
- MDM9650
- SD 210/SD 212/SD 205
- SD 400
- SD 410/12
- SD 425
- SD 430
- SD 450
- SD 615/16/SD 415
- SD 617
- SD 625
- SD 650/52
- SD 800
- SD 808
- SD 810
- SD 820
- SD 820A
- SD 835
- SD 845
- SD 850
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete device compromise, data theft, and persistent access to the affected device.
Likely Case
Information disclosure where attackers can read sensitive memory contents, potentially exposing cryptographic keys, user data, or system information.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper memory protections and security patches applied, potentially just causing application crashes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Buffer over-read vulnerabilities typically require specific conditions to exploit but can be leveraged through malicious applications or network attacks targeting the WideVine API.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security patch level 2018-04-05 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2018-04-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current Android security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android security patch level. 2. If before April 2018, update device through Settings > System > System update. 3. For custom ROMs or embedded systems, obtain updated firmware from device manufacturer. 4. Reboot device after update completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WideVine DRM (Not Recommended)
androidDisabling WideVine DRM functionality would prevent exploitation but breaks protected content playback
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices from untrusted networks and limit app installations to trusted sources only
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent malicious apps from exploiting the vulnerability
🔍 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 Android security patch level shows April 2018 or later date after applying updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes related to WideVine DRM
- Memory access violations in system logs
- Unexpected process terminations
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic to/from DRM-related services
- Suspicious WideVine API calls
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND ("WideVine" OR "DRM") AND ("crash" OR "segfault" OR "memory violation")