CVE-2017-13305

What it actually does

The flaw permits a local process to read sensitive kernel memory contents from the encrypted-keys subsystem due to missing bounds checks or uninitialized data handling in key encryption routines.

Why it matters to the business

Organizations running affected Android or Linux kernels risk exposure of cryptographic material or other kernel data to any local user, which could enable further attacks on encrypted storage or credentials; the issue has remained unexploited in the wild for over eight years with stable low exploitation probability.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local shell access supplies crafted parameters to the encrypted-keys kernel interface, triggering the memory corruption path that returns adjacent kernel memory to user space.

How to fix it

Apply the latest available kernel updates from Google, Canonical, or Debian that contain fixes for the encrypted-keys information disclosure; where distribution patches are unavailable, backport the upstream correction to the encrypted-keys implementation and rebuild the kernel.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running kernel version incorporates the encrypted-keys fix by inspecting source or changelog entries; test that attempts to trigger the original memory disclosure now return only expected data or errors.

Typical attack path

1. Gain local user access on an affected Android or Linux system
2. Load or interact with the encrypted-keys kernel module via keyctl or related syscalls
3. Supply malformed key data that bypasses validation and leaks memory
4. Parse returned data for cryptographic keys or other sensitive kernel structures

How to detect it

Review kernel audit logs and dmesg output for anomalous encrypted-keys errors or unexpected keyctl activity; examine process execution history for repeated or unusual invocations of key management utilities on systems still running unpatched kernels.

What your security team should do

• Inventory all Android devices and Linux servers for vulnerable kernel versions
• Schedule kernel updates on all affected systems within standard change windows
• Restrict local user accounts and limit use of keyctl interfaces where possible
• Include the encrypted-keys code path in future kernel fuzzing and code review cycles