# CVE-2016-10442: Privilege escalation in Snapdragon Mobile

> Improper access control in Qualcomm Snapdragon kernel modules allows attackers to write to arbitrary memory and alter executable code, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Apr 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3mj2-f6g2-rqg9

## What is CVE-2016-10442?

CVE-2016-10442 is a critical vulnerability in Qualcomm Mdm9640 Firmware, published on 18 Apr 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Android before 2018-04-05 or earlier security patch level on Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile MDM9640, SDM630, MSM8976, MSM8937, SDM845, MSM8976, and MSM8952, when running module or kernel code with improper access control allowing writing to arbitrary regions of memory, the user may utilize this vector to alter module executable code.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-10442?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Qualcomm Mdm9640 Firmware, Qualcomm Mdm9650 Firmware, Qualcomm Msm8937 Firmware, Qualcomm Msm8952 Firmware, Qualcomm Msm8976 Firmware, Qualcomm Sdm630 Firmware, Qualcomm Sdm845 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-10442?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-10442 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-10442 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-10442 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Qualcomm Mdm9640 Firmware

- [CVE-2016-10419](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10419/): Memory corruption in Snapdragon Mobile (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-10486](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10486/): Memory corruption in Snapdragon Automobile, Snapdragon Mobile (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-18137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18137/): Memory corruption in Snapdragon Mobile (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-2316](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-2316/): Use after free in Snapdragon Auto, Snapdragon Consumer IOT, Snapdragon Mobile, Snapdragon Voice & Music (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-10442 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-10442 is a critical vulnerability in Qualcomm Mdm9640 Firmware, published on 18 Apr 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-10442 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Qualcomm Mdm9640 Firmware. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10442/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10442/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-10442
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10442
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-10442

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10442/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.