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 d…

published 2017-11-07 9 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2017-7835

cvss: 6.6; version 3.0, NVD
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.4%; EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 32%
public exploits: 0; none known

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.

Patch / fix

distros 3

red hat opensuse arch linux

kernel-alt RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
kernel RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
python-perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
kernel-tools RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a

red hat advisories RHSA-2018:2948

kernel-source openSUSE Tumbleweed 5.14.6-1.4
kernel-source openSUSE Tumbleweed 6.6.17-1.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2024:10728-1 openSUSE-SU-2024:13704-1

linux Arch Linux 4.14-1
linux-hardened Arch Linux 4.14-1
linux-zen Arch Linux 4.14-1
linux-lts Arch Linux 4.9.60-1

arch linux advisories AVG-484 AVG-568 AVG-569 AVG-570

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2017-16648 updated 2026-11-05 cvss 4.6

kernel: Use-after-free in drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c

Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) perf 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel-alt 4.14.0-115.el7a, python-perf 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel-tools 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel-tools-libs 4.14.0-115.el7a, +3 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.14.0-115.el7a
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:2948
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, python-perf, kernel-kdump, +8 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-core, kernel-tools, python3-perf, +17 more Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 kernel-rt, mrg-rt-release, kernel-rt-trace, kernel-rt-vanilla, kernel-rt-firmware
not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

0.38% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 32% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
NVD	3.0	6.6	CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD	2.0	7.2	AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Classification

Weakness

CWE-416 Use After Free

Technology feeds

Linux kernel rss critical rss

References

access.redhat.com /errata/RHSA-2018:2948
vendor-advisory
patchwork.kernel.org /patch/10046189/
mailing-list, third-party-advisory
securityfocus.com /bid/101758
vdb-entry, third-party-advisory
groups.google.com /d/msg/syzkaller/0HJQqTm0G_g/T931ItskBAAJ
mailing-list, third-party-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2017-16648
NVD CVE-2017-16648

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary