Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2017-16647
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 · unediteddrivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c in the Linux kernel through 4.13.11 allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted USB device.
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 confidenceThe asix_devices.c USB network driver in Linux kernel versions through 4.13.11 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability. A local attacker can trigger this by connecting a crafted USB device that causes the driver to dereference a NULL pointer during device initialization or data handling, resulting in kernel panic and system crash.
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
Linux KernelOperating system
<= 4.13.11CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/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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Check the running kernel versionRun `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to get the kernel version numberAffected if The kernel version is 4.13.11 or lower (e.g., 4.13.11, 4.13.10, 4.12.x, etc.)
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Verify if the asix driver is loadedRun `lsmod | grep asix` to check if the asix USB Ethernet driver module is currently loaded in memoryAffected if The asix module appears in the output, indicating it is active and could be triggered by a malicious USB device
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Check if the asix driver is built into the kernelCheck for the presence of asix-related kernel objects: `find /lib/modules/$(uname -r) -name '*.ko' | grep -i asix` or check kernel config at `/boot/config-$(uname -r)` for CONFIG_USB_ASIX=yAffected if The asix driver is built as a module or compiled into the kernel (CONFIG_USB_ASIX is set to y or m)
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Detect any connected ASIX-based USB Ethernet devicesRun `lsusb` and look for devices with vendor IDs commonly used by ASIX (e.g., 0b95:772b, 0b95:7720, 0b95:1780, etc.) or check `ip link show` for USB ethernet interfacesAffected if An ASIX USB Ethernet device is currently connected to the system
A system is affected if it runs a kernel version 4.13.11 or lower AND has the asix USB driver available (loaded or built-in), making it vulnerable when a crafted USB device is connected.
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 dataUpdate the Linux kernel to a version newer than 4.13.11. As a defensive measure, disable the asix USB Ethernet driver (CONFIG_USB_ASIX) if not required, and restrict access to USB ports to prevent untrusted device connections.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16647 — 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-2017-16647 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
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