CVE-2016-6703
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 · uneditedA remote code execution vulnerability in an Android runtime library in Android 4.x before 4.4.4, 5.0.x before 5.0.2, 5.1.x before 5.1.1, and 6.x before 2016-11-01 could enable an attacker using a specially crafted payload to execute arbitrary code in the context of an unprivileged process. This issue is rated as High due to the possibility of remote code execution in an application that uses the Android runtime. Android ID: A-30765246.
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 confidenceThis is a remote code execution vulnerability in the Android runtime library (ART) affecting Android versions 4.x through 6.x. An attacker can execute arbitrary code via a specially crafted payload within an unprivileged process context, achieving code execution without requiring elevated privileges.
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<= 6.0.1= 4.0= 4.0.1= 4.0.2= 4.0.3= 4.0.4= 4.1= 4.1.2= 4.2= 4.2.1= 4.2.2= 4.3CVSS 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:3.0/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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Check Android version on the deviceGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release`Affected if The version is 4.0 through 6.0.1 (any 4.x, 5.x, or 6.0.1 release)
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Verify the device has not received the November 2016 security patchGo to Settings > About Phone > Build number, or run `adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch`Affected if The security patch level is earlier than 2016-11-01 or the field is empty/unavailable
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Confirm the ART runtime is in useCheck that the device is not using an alternative runtime (most Android devices use ART by default in versions 5.0+); run `adb shell getprop dalvik.vm.dex2oat-enabled` to verify ART is enabledAffected if ART is enabled (which is default in Android 5.0+) and version is 4.x-6.0.1
The device is affected if it runs Android 4.0 through 6.0.1 and has not received the November 2016 Android security patch.
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 the November 2016 Android security patch or later to affected devices; this is a system-level update that must be delivered via carrier or manufacturer OTA updates.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $9,280.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-6703 — 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-2016-6703 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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- 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
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