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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2017-16648

MEDIUM · 6.6 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-11-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.13.11 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
The dvb_frontend_free function in drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c in the Linux kernel through 4.13.11 allows local users to cause a denial of service (use-after-free and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted USB device. NOTE: the function was later renamed __dvb_frontend_free.

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

Use-after-free vulnerability in the dvb_frontend_free function within drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c of the Linux kernel (through 4.13.11). Local attackers with access to craft USB devices can trigger the freed memory to be accessed after release, causing kernel panic or system crash.

MitigationUpdate Linux kernel to version 4.13.12 or later which contains the fix (function renamed to __dvb_frontend_free). Restrict untrusted local users from interacting with DVB USB devices until patch is applied.

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
Affected:<= 4.13.11

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check the running kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to obtain the kernel version
    Affected if The version is 4.13.11 or lower (any version through 4.13.11)
  2. Verify DVB USB driver support is present
    Check for loaded DVB modules using `lsmod | grep dvb` or check for dvb_usb in /proc/modules
    Affected if Any DVB USB module (dvb_usb, dvb_usb_af9005, dvb_usb_az6027, etc.) is loaded
  3. Check for DVB device nodes
    Examine if /dev/dvb/ directory exists and contains adapter devices (e.g., ls /dev/dvb/)
    Affected if DVB device files are present, indicating the DVB subsystem is active
  4. Confirm kernel configuration includes DVB support
    If accessible, check /boot/config-`uname -r` or /proc/config.gz for CONFIG_DVB_CORE=y
    Affected if CONFIG_DVB_CORE is enabled in the kernel configuration

The system is affected if the kernel version is 4.13.11 or lower AND the DVB USB subsystem (drivers or device nodes) is present and active.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.13.11
Interim mitigation

Update Linux kernel to version 4.13.12 or later which contains the fix (function renamed to __dvb_frontend_free). Restrict untrusted local users from interacting with DVB USB devices until patch is applied.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2017-16648 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