CVE-2017-0494
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 · uneditedAn information disclosure vulnerability in AOSP Messaging could enable a remote attacker using a special crafted file to access data outside of its permission levels. This issue is rated as Moderate because it could be used to access sensitive data without permission. Product: Android. Versions: 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1. Android ID: A-32764144.
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 confidenceAn information disclosure vulnerability in AOSP Messaging allows a specially crafted file to bypass permission restrictions and access data outside its allowed permission levels. This is a classic access control bypass where the Messaging app fails to properly validate file access permissions, potentially exposing sensitive user data to an attacker.
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= 6.0.1= 7.0= 7.1.0= 7.1.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 OS versionGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release`Affected if Version is 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.0, or 7.1.1
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Verify AOSP Messaging is installedCheck if the Messaging app from AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is present on the device. Look for package name 'com.android.messaging' in Settings > Apps, or run `adb shell pm list packages | grep messaging`Affected if AOSP Messaging app (com.android.messaging) is installed on the device
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Confirm Messaging app is in useCheck if AOSP Messaging is the active/default messaging handler. Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Messaging app, or examine which app handles SMS intentsAffected if AOSP Messaging is set as the default messaging application handling SMS/MMS
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Check installed security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run `adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch`Affected if The security patch level is earlier than February 2017 (patch level should show 2017-02-01 or later to be fixed)
The device is affected if it runs Android 6.0 through 7.1.1, has the AOSP Messaging app installed and active, and has a security patch level earlier than the February 2017 update.
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 relevant Android security patch (released in Google's February 2017 Android Security Bulletin) which addresses this vulnerability in AOSP Messaging. Users should ensure their devices receive monthly security updates from their device manufacturer or carrier.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-0494 — 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-2017-0494 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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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