dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2017-13217

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-01-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
In DisplayFtmItem in the bootloader, there is an out-of-bounds write due to reading a string without verifying that it's null-terminated. This could lead to a secure boot bypass and a local elevation of privilege enabling code execution as a privileged process with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android. Versions: Android kernel. Android ID: A-68269077.

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 confidence

A stack-based buffer overflow exists in the DisplayFtmItem function within the Android bootloader. The vulnerability stems from reading a string into a fixed-length buffer without first verifying the string is properly null-terminated, causing data to overflow beyond the intended buffer boundary. This out-of-bounds write corrupts memory and can bypass secure boot verification, allowing arbitrary code execution at a privileged (bootloader) level.

MitigationThis is a firmware-level vulnerability requiring a bootloader update from the device OEM that includes the patched DisplayFtmItem function with proper null-termination bounds checking. Users should apply available security patches and avoid rooting or modifying devices that could disable secure boot protections.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify device model and OEM
    Note the device manufacturer, model number, and carrier (if applicable). This information is needed to determine the specific bootloader update availability from the OEM.
    Affected if The device is a Google Android device that has not received a specific bootloader security update addressing CVE-2017-13217 from its OEM.
  2. Check bootloader version
    Boot into the device bootloader (typically by holding volume down + power during boot) and note the bootloader version displayed. Alternatively, check via fastboot: 'fastboot getvar all' or 'fastboot oem device-info'. Look for a version string (e.g., 'bootloader-xxxx-xx').
    Affected if The bootloader version shown is earlier than the version that includes the CVE-2017-13217 patch, or the version string cannot be verified as patched.
  3. Verify Android security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Software Information (or Security status) and check the 'Android security patch level' date. Compare this to the month the CVE was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin.
    Affected if The Android security patch level predates the CVE-2017-13217 patch release (patched in Android security bulletin around early 2018).
  4. Check for secure boot status
    Inspect the bootloader or recovery to determine if verified boot (dm-verity / verified boot) is enabled and not in a warning state. On supported devices, 'fastboot oem device-info' may show 'Bootloader locked' status.
    Affected if Secure boot verification can be bypassed due to this vulnerability if the device bootloader has not been patched, regardless of lock status.

A user is affected if the device runs an unpatched Android bootloader where the DisplayFtmItem function lacks proper null-termination bounds checking, typically indicated by a pre-patch bootloader version or outdated security patch level.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

This is a firmware-level vulnerability requiring a bootloader update from the device OEM that includes the patched DisplayFtmItem function with proper null-termination bounds checking. Users should apply available security patches and avoid rooting or modifying devices that could disable secure boot protections.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing24.0 h
  • Review / QA12.0 h
60.0 hours of engineering $10,240
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-13217 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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