CVE-2017-11016
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 · uneditedIn Android for MSM, Firefox OS for MSM, QRD Android, with all Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, when memory allocation fails while creating a calibration block in create_cal_block stale pointers are left uncleared.
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 confidenceIn the Android Linux kernel from CAF, the create_cal_block function has a memory management vulnerability where failed memory allocation leaves stale pointers uncleared. This can lead to use-after-free or memory corruption issues, potentially allowing local privilege escalation or denial of service.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 kernel versionCheck /proc/version or use 'uname -a' command to display kernel version informationAffected if Kernel version is from CAF (Code Aurora Forum) and contains the create_cal_block function in the calibration subsystem
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Verify the CAL (Calibration) subsystem is enabledCheck kernel configuration for CONFIG_CAL or examine if calibration-related kernel modules are loaded via /proc/modules or lsmodAffected if CAL subsystem is compiled into the kernel or loaded as a module and the device uses the vulnerable code path
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Locate the create_cal_block function in the kernelSearch kernel symbols or decompile the kernel image to find the create_cal_block function definitionAffected if The function exists in the deployed kernel and contains the memory allocation logic without proper pointer clearing on failure
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Examine the function's error handling codeReview the create_cal_block function's memory allocation failure path to check if stale pointers are cleared after failed kmalloc or similar allocation callsAffected if The function fails to clear pointers when memory allocation returns NULL, leaving dangling references that can be dereferenced later
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Check if the device uses the vulnerable calibration code pathIdentify if any userspace processes or kernel drivers invoke the CAL subsystem functions that call create_cal_blockAffected if The calibration subsystem is actively used, triggering the vulnerable code path where use-after-free or memory corruption could occur
The device is affected if it runs an Android kernel from CAF containing the create_cal_block function with the CAL subsystem enabled, and the function does not properly clear stale pointers when memory allocation fails.
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 dataThe fix requires modifying the create_cal_block function to properly clear stale pointers when memory allocation fails, ensuring the calibration subsystem handles allocation failures safely without leaving dangling references.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $6,080.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-11016 — 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-2017-11016 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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