CVE-2014-7913
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 · uneditedThe print_option function in dhcp-common.c in dhcpcd through 6.9.1, as used in dhcp.c in dhcpcd 5.x in Android before 5.1 and other products, misinterprets the return value of the snprintf function, which allows remote DHCP servers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted message.
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 confidenceThe print_option function in dhcpcd misinterprets snprintf's return value. snprintf returns the number of characters that WOULD have been written (not actual), which can exceed the buffer size when truncation occurs. The code uses this return value incorrectly for buffer indexing, leading to heap or stack buffer overflow when processing crafted DHCP options from a malicious server.
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 data<= 6.9.0CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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.
-
Check if dhcpcd is installedRun 'dhcpcd --version' or check package manager (dpkg -l | grep dhcpcd, rpm -qa | grep dhcpcd)Affected if dhcpcd is not installed, the system is not affected by this specific vulnerability
-
Determine the installed dhcpcd versionRun 'dhcpcd --version' and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version displayed is 6.9.0 or earlier (versions 6.9.1 and 6.9.2 are not listed as affected, but versions <= 6.9.0 are)
-
Verify the print_option function is present in the binaryCheck the dhcpcd binary for the print_option function: 'strings /path/to/dhcpcd | grep -i print_option' or use 'nm /path/to/dhcpcd | grep print_option'Affected if The function exists in the binary, making the code path potentially reachable
-
Confirm dhcpcd is actively running or configured to runCheck process list with 'ps aux | grep dhcpcd' or check service status (systemctl status dhcpcd, service dhcpcd status)Affected if dhcpcd is actively running as a DHCP client, processing responses from DHCP servers
-
Identify the dhcpcd configuration for interface bindingReview /etc/dhcpcd.conf or run 'dhcpcd -U <interface>' to see active DHCP configurationAffected if Interfaces are configured to obtain IP via DHCP, meaning the vulnerable code path can be triggered by a malicious DHCP server response
The system is affected if dhcpcd version 6.9.0 or earlier is installed and actively running as a DHCP client on any interface, as the vulnerable print_option function processes DHCP server responses.
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 dataUpdate dhcpcd to version 6.9.2 or later which contains the corrected snprintf return value handling. For Android, apply the vendor patch for Android 5.1 or later.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-7913 — 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-2014-7913 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data