Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2017-7261
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 · uneditedThe vmw_surface_define_ioctl function in drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c in the Linux kernel through 4.10.5 does not check for a zero value of certain levels data, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (ZERO_SIZE_PTR dereference, and GPF and possibly panic) via a crafted ioctl call for a /dev/dri/renderD* 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 confidenceA missing validation in the vmwgfx DRM driver allows local users to trigger a ZERO_SIZE_PTR dereference by providing a zero value for surface levels data in a crafted ioctl call to /dev/dri/renderD* devices, causing a kernel panic or GPF.
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
<= 4.10.5CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 kernel versionRun 'uname -r' and compare the version number to 4.10.5. Extract the full version (e.g., 4.10.5, 4.10.4, 4.9.x, etc.)Affected if Kernel version is 4.10.5 or earlier (e.g., 4.10.0 through 4.10.5)
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Verify vmwgfx driver is loadedRun 'lsmod | grep vmwgfx' or check 'ls /sys/module/ | grep vmwgfx' to see if the vmwgfx kernel module is present and loadedAffected if The vmwgfx module is loaded on the system
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Confirm /dev/dri/renderD* devices existRun 'ls -la /dev/dri/renderD*' to list the render nodes used for DRM ioctl callsAffected if The /dev/dri/renderD* device files exist on the system
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Check access permissions on render nodesRun 'ls -la /dev/dri/renderD*' and inspect group/owner permissions. Check which users or groups have read/write access to these devicesAffected if Untrusted or non-root users have access to /dev/dri/renderD* devices (vulnerable if the user can issue ioctl calls)
The system is affected if it runs kernel version 4.10.5 or earlier, has the vmwgfx DRM driver loaded, and allows untrusted users access to /dev/dri/renderD* devices for ioctl calls.
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 upstream kernel patch (or upgrade kernel to 4.10.6+); as a defense-in-depth measure, restrict access to /dev/dri/renderD* devices to trusted users only until patched.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-7261 — 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-2017-7261 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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