CVE-2017-14937
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security...
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security Access (SA) data to the internal CAN bus (or the OBD connector). This affects the airbag control units (aka pyrotechnical control units or PCUs) of unspecified passenger vehicles manufactured in 2014 or later, when the ignition is on and the speed is less than 6 km/h. Specifically, there are only 256 possible key pairs, and authentication attempts have no rate limit. In addition, at least one manufacturer's interpretation of the ISO 26021 standard is that it must be possible to calculate the key directly (i.e., the other 255 key pairs must not be used). Exploitation would typically involve an attacker who has already gained access to the CAN bus, and sends a crafted Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) message to detonate the pyrotechnical charges, resulting in the same passenger-injury risks as in any airbag deployment.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
4.7
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security Access (SA) data to the internal CAN bus (or the OBD connector). This affects the airbag control units (aka pyrotechnical control units or PCUs) of unspecified passenger vehicles manufactured in 2014 or later, when the ignition is on and the speed is less than 6 km/h. Specifically, there are only 256 possible key pairs, and authentication attempts have no rate limit. In addition, at least one manufacturer's interpretation of the ISO 26021 standard is that it must be possible to calculate the key directly (i.e., the other 255 key pairs must not be used). Exploitation would typically involve an attacker who has already gained access to the CAN bus, and sends a crafted Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) message to detonate the pyrotechnical charges, resulting in the same passenger-injury risks as in any airbag deployment.
- Record
CVE-2017-14937- CVSS 3.0
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 1.9 Low
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-327
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security Access (SA) data to the internal CAN bus (or the OBD connector). This affects the airbag control units (aka pyrotechnical control units or PCUs) of unspecified passenger vehicles manufactured in 2014 or later, when the ignition is on and the speed is less than 6 km/h. Specifically, there are only 256 possible key pairs, and authentication attempts have no rate limit. In addition, at least one manufacturer's interpretation of the ISO 26021 standard is that it must be possible to calculate the key directly (i.e., the other 255 key pairs must not be used). Exploitation would typically involve an attacker who has already gained access to the CAN bus, and sends a crafted Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) message to detonate the pyrotechnical charges, resulting in the same passenger-injury risks as in any airbag deployment.
- Record
CVE-2017-14937- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2017-6414 No score
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security Access (SA) data to the internal CAN bus (or the OBD connector). This affects the airbag control units (aka pyrotechnical control units or PCUs) of unspecified passenger vehicles manufactured in 2014 or later, when the ignition is on and the speed is less than 6 km/h. Specifically, there are only 256 possible key pairs, and authentication attempts have no rate limit. In addition, at least one manufacturer's interpretation of the ISO 26021 standard is that it must be possible to calculate the key directly (i.e., the other 255 key pairs must not be used). Exploitation would typically involve an attacker who has already gained access to the CAN bus, and sends a crafted Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) message to detonate the pyrotechnical charges, resulting in the same passenger-injury risks as in any airbag deployment.
- Record
EUVD-2017-6414- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-j2vv-fr99-j8xg
4.7
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security...
The airbag detonation algorithm allows injury to passenger-car occupants via predictable Security Access (SA) data to the internal CAN bus (or the OBD connector). This affects the airbag control units (aka pyrotechnical control units or PCUs) of unspecified passenger vehicles manufactured in 2014 or later, when the ignition is on and the speed is less than 6 km/h. Specifically, there are only 256 possible key pairs, and authentication attempts have no rate limit. In addition, at least one manufacturer's interpretation of the ISO 26021 standard is that it must be possible to calculate the key directly (i.e., the other 255 key pairs must not be used). Exploitation would typically involve an attacker who has already gained access to the CAN bus, and sends a crafted Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) message to detonate the pyrotechnical charges, resulting in the same passenger-injury risks as in any airbag deployment.
- Record
GHSA-j2vv-fr99-j8xg- CVSS 3.0
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-327
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Check For and Prep the Pyrotechnic Devices (Airbags, Battery Clamps, etc.) |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, Metasploit, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2017-14937 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.7) in Pcu, published October 20, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.99%, the 62nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
rapid7.com/db/modules/post/hardware/automotive/pdt
mmt.hs-karlsruhe.de/downloads/IEEM/Schwachstellen/PCU_Vulnerability_Description_HsKA.PDF
researchgate.net/publication/321183727_Security_Evaluation_of_an_Airbag-ECU_by_Reusing_Threat_Modeling_Artefacts
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-14937
github.com/advisories/GHSA-j2vv-fr99-j8xg