CVE-2017-0427 Linux CVE debrief

Who should care

Android platform maintainers, OEM security teams, kernel integrators, and defenders responsible for devices running Linux kernel 3.10 or 3.18 should treat this as a high-priority local privilege-escalation issue. Security teams should also pay attention where untrusted local apps can be installed or where device recovery is costly.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is a kernel file system elevation of privilege issue. NVD lists the attack vector as local, requiring user interaction, with high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CVSS 3.0: AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The supplied corpus ties the issue to Android and to Linux kernel 3.10 and 3.18. The vendor advisory reference is the Android security bulletin for 2017-02-01, which is the primary remediation pointer in the source set.

Defensive priority

High. This is a local attack, but the impact reaches kernel execution and potentially durable device compromise, so patching and exposure reduction should be prioritized on affected Android and Linux-based devices.

Recommended defensive actions

• Apply the Android security bulletin remediation referenced in the official vendor advisory.
• Update or replace affected systems running Linux kernel 3.10 or 3.18 with vendor-fixed builds.
• Restrict installation and execution of untrusted local applications on exposed devices.
• Validate whether deployed Android builds are at or below 7.1.1, as listed by NVD, and prioritize remediation if so.
• Use the official NVD and CVE records to confirm affected product scope before planning maintenance windows.

Evidence notes

All statements above are drawn from the supplied CVE record, NVD metadata, and the referenced Android security bulletin link. The record states: a kernel file system elevation of privilege vulnerability; affected versions include Android through 7.1.1 and Linux kernel 3.10/3.18; NVD CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H with score 7.8; and the Android bulletin reference is the mitigation source in the corpus. The source corpus also notes that the Android bulletin text describes the issue as Critical and mentions the possibility of reflashing the operating system to repair a device.

Official resources