Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2016-2061
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 · uneditedInteger signedness error in the MSM V4L2 video driver for the Linux kernel 3.x, as used in Qualcomm Innovation Center (QuIC) Android contributions for MSM devices and other products, allows attackers to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (array overflow and memory corruption) via a crafted application that triggers an msm_isp_axi_create_stream call.
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 confidenceInteger signedness error in the MSM V4L2 video driver's msm_isp_axi_create_stream function allows attackers to trigger array overflows and memory corruption, potentially leading to privilege escalation or denial of service. The vulnerability exists in Linux kernel 3.x used in Qualcomm MSM devices.
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
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 3.0, <= 3.19.8CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 kernel versionRun 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to obtain the running kernel version numberAffected if The kernel version is 3.0.x through 3.19.8 inclusive
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Confirm Qualcomm MSM hardwareCheck /proc/cpuinfo for 'Qualcomm MSM' or 'Snapdragon' in the hardware/model field, or check 'lspci' / 'lsusb' output for Qualcomm video subsystem identifiersAffected if The device uses a Qualcomm MSM SoC (this driver is specific to Qualcomm MSM architecture)
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Verify V4L2 video driver presenceCheck /dev/video* devices exist, or run 'lsmod' to see if video4linux or MSM video modules are loaded (such as msm_vidc, msm_isp, or v4l2_common)Affected if The V4L2 video driver subsystem and specifically the MSM ISP driver are present and loaded
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Identify the vulnerable functionCheck if the kernel module containing 'msp_isp_axi_create_stream' is loaded - this may appear in 'modinfo' output for msm_isp modules, or check /sys/module for msm_isp related modulesAffected if The msm_isp module (containing the vulnerable msm_isp_axi_create_stream function) is present in the kernel
The system is affected if it runs a Linux kernel between 3.0 and 3.19.8 on Qualcomm MSM hardware with the MSM V4L2 video driver (msm_isp module) loaded and active.
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 kernel/driver patches from Qualcomm or device manufacturers. For embedded/Android systems, this typically requires OTA firmware updates. Prioritize systems with exposed video driver interfaces or untrusted app execution environments.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,856.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-2061 — 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-2016-2061 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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