# CVE-2017-18663: Null dereference in n/a

> Missing exception handling in system_server allows attackers to cause a system crash via null pointer dereference on Samsung mobile devices.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vr85-4gcr-q3m4

## What is CVE-2017-18663?

CVE-2017-18663 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 7 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with N(7.x) software. Because of missing Intent exception handling, system_server can have a NullPointerException with a crash of a system process. The Samsung IDs are SVE-2017-9122, SVE-2017-9123, SVE-2017-9124, and SVE-2017-9126 (July 2017).

Weakness: CWE-755 (Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-18663?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-18663?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-18663 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-18663 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18663 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-2017-18663 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-18663 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 7 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18663 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-2017-18663/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18663/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-18663
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-18663
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-18663

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18663/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.