CVE-2017-18680
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with L(5.0/5.1) and M(6.0) (tablets) software. The lockscreen interface allows Add User actions, leading to an unintended ability to access user data in external storage. The Samsung ID is SVE-2016-7797 (March 2017).
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 confidenceOn Samsung tablets running Android L (5.0/5.1) and M (6.0), the lockscreen interface contains a flaw that permits the 'Add User' action to be executed without proper authentication. This allows a physically present attacker to add a new user, bypassing the lockscreen and gaining access to user data stored on external storage.
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= 5.0= 5.1= 6.0CVSS 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
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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.
-
Identify device manufacturer and typeCheck device settings under Settings > About tablet (or About phone) > Model number to confirm the device is made by Samsung and is a tabletAffected if Device is not a Samsung tablet - not vulnerable to this specific flaw
-
Check Android versionGo to Settings > About tablet > Android version and verify the exact version number displayedAffected if Android version is NOT 5.0, 5.1, or 6.0 - not vulnerable to this flaw
-
Confirm lockscreen is in useGo to Settings > Lock screen > Screen lock type and verify a lock method (Pattern, PIN, Password, or Fingerprint) is enabledAffected if Lockscreen is disabled or set to 'None' - the bypass does not apply since there is no lock to bypass
-
Verify device has external storageCheck if the tablet has an SD card inserted or shows external storage in Settings > Storage. The flaw allows access to data on external storageAffected if Device has no external storage - the specific data exposure aspect of this flaw does not apply
A Samsung tablet is affected if it runs Android 5.0, 5.1, or 6.0, has a lockscreen enabled, and has external storage accessible, allowing an attacker with physical access to add a user via the lockscreen bypass.
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 Samsung security update (SVE-2016-7797, March 2017) to affected devices. For unsupported devices, implement physical access controls and consider restricting device placement in secure areas.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-18680 — 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-2017-18680 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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