CVE-2017-0663
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 libxml2 could enable an attacker using a specially crafted file to execute arbitrary code within 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 this library. Product: Android. Versions: 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2. Android ID: A-37104170.
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 · moderate confidenceA remote code execution vulnerability in libxml2 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via specially crafted XML files. The vulnerability resides in the XML parsing library used by Android and enables code execution within the context of an unprivileged process.
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= 4.4.4= 5.0.2= 5.1.1= 6.0= 6.0.1= 7.0= 7.1.1= 7.1.2CVSS 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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Identify the Android OS versionGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version (or Settings > System > About Phone > Android version on newer devices) and note the exact version numberAffected if The Android version is 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, or 7.1.2
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Identify the libxml2 library versionFor developers or security auditors: check the libxml2 library file version on the system (typically libxml2.so on Android). Use 'adb shell dumpsys package libxml2' or inspect the library binary metadata if availableAffected if The libxml2 version corresponds to the vulnerable releases bundled with the affected Android versions listed (generally libxml2 versions prior to the March 2017 security patch)
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Determine if XML parsing is in useIdentify processes or applications that parse external or untrusted XML content, as the vulnerability is triggered during XML parsingAffected if Any application or service on the device processes XML files using the libxml2 library
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Check for security patch levelOn Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level (or Settings > System > Security patch level) to see the installed security updatesAffected if The security patch level is earlier than the March 2017 Android security bulletin that addressed CVE-2017-0663
You are affected if your Android device runs version 4.4.4 through 7.1.2 and has not received the March 2017 or later security patch, and any application on the device parses XML content using the vulnerable libxml2 library.
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 security patch for CVE-2017-0663 by updating libxml2 to a patched version; for Android devices, this requires installing the latest system updates from the device manufacturer or carrier.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-0663 — 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-2017-0663 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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