# CVE-2015-8955: Null dereference in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges or cause denial of service via invalid pointer dereference in the Linux kernel arm64 performance event handling.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-8955, GHSA-g7mr-f4gj-f8j8, UBUNTU-CVE-2015-8955

## What is CVE-2015-8955?

CVE-2015-8955 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 10 Oct 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

arch/arm64/kernel/perf_event.c in the Linux kernel before 4.1 on arm64 platforms allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference) via vectors involving events that are mishandled during a span of multiple HW PMUs.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-8955?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Google Android, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-8955?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2015-8955 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-8955 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-8955 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-8955 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 10 Oct 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-8955 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8955/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8955/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-8955
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-8955
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-8955

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8955/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.