CVE-2017-9605 — The vmw_gb_surface_define_ioctl function (accessible via DRM_IOCTL_VMW_GB_SURFAC
The vmw_gb_surface_define_ioctl function (accessible via DRM_IOCTL_VMW_GB_SURFACE_CREATE) in drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c in the Linux kernel through 4.11.4 defines a backup_handle variable but does not give it an initial value. If one attempts to create a GB surface,
Published
2017-06-13T19:29:00.393
Last modified
2026-05-13T00:24:29.033
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
01What is this vulnerability?
The vmw_gb_surface_define_ioctl function (accessible via DRM_IOCTL_VMW_GB_SURFACE_CREATE) in drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c in the Linux kernel through 4.11.4 defines a backup_handle variable but does not give it an initial value. If one attempts to create a GB surface, with a previously allocated DMA buffer to be used as a backup buffer, the backup_handle variable does not get written…
02Affected products
No structured affected-product list available — see references below for vendor advisories.
03Active exploitation status
Not currently listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. EPSS is the best forward-looking signal — see the EPSS row above.
04Recommended remediation
- Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
- Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
- Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.
05Technical details
For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.
06Detection signatures
Ask SARA in chat to draft a starting detection for this CVE in your stack of choice.
07Related CVEs
No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.
08Timeline
- Published: 2017-06-13T19:29:00.393
- Last modified: 2026-05-13T00:24:29.033
09References
- git.kernel.org — http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=07678e…
- www.debian.org — http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3927
- www.debian.org — http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3945
- www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/99095
- github.com — https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/07678eca2cf9c9a18584e546c2b2a0d0c9a3150…
- git.kernel.org — http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=07678e…
- www.debian.org — http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3927
- www.debian.org — http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3945
- www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/99095
- github.com — https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/07678eca2cf9c9a18584e546c2b2a0d0c9a3150…
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