Same issue as 227617, and I provided a sample project demonstrating the issue.

Starting in API 24 (and in API 25), Android does not handle vector graphics the same way if there are empty path strings. I create a .svg file using Inkscape. I then save and import it with Android Studio File -> New -> Vector Asset and reference the drawable in an ImageView. When I run the app, it crashes on Nougat but works on Marshmallow.

minSDK 23, target SDK 25

Tested as working on both a Nexus 5X API 23 emulator and a Moto X (2nd gen) on Android 6.0. Tested as failing on a Nexus 5X API 23 emulator and a real Nexus 5X on Android 7.1.1.

To reproduce, you can just run the test app shared on Drive here (called VictorsVector.zip): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5FNdaE9E10QRHRyR2x2VWJGMDg

Note: The source unlock_sample.svg file is available in the zip archive as well.

This fails 100% of the time on Nougat and works 100% of the time on Marshmallow. See the end of this report for the Android Monitor log output.

Expected operation: It would be great if this just worked on Nougat. Alternatively, perhaps Studio should generate a warning or error when trying to use or import an .svg with empty path strings instead of the developer encountering the runtime failure.

Android Monitor log output:
01-23 17:00:27.577 8125-8125/com.e_gineering.victorsvector E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.e_gineering.victorsvector, PID: 8125
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.e_gineering.victorsvector/com.e_gineering.victorsvector.MainActivity}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #14: Binary XML file line #14: Error inflating class ImageView
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2665)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2726)
at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap12(ActivityThread.java)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1477)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6119)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:886)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:776)
Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #14: Binary XML file line #14: Error inflating class ImageView
Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #14: Error inflating class ImageView
Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: Drawable com.e_gineering.victorsvector:drawable/ic_unlock_sample with resource ID #0x7f020053
Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: File res/drawable/ic_unlock_sample.xml from drawable resource ID #0x7f020053
at android.content.res.ResourcesImpl.loadDrawableForCookie(ResourcesImpl.java:725)
at android.content.res.ResourcesImpl.loadDrawable(ResourcesImpl.java:571)
at android.content.res.Resources.loadDrawable(Resources.java:858)
at android.content.res.TypedArray.getDrawable(TypedArray.java:928)
at android.widget.ImageView.<init>(ImageView.java:162)
at android.widget.ImageView.<init>(ImageView.java:150)
at android.support.v7.widget.AppCompatImageView.<init>(AppCompatImageView.java:60)
at android.support.v7.widget.AppCompatImageView.<init>(AppCompatImageView.java:56)
at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatViewInflater.createView(AppCompatViewInflater.java:106)
at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV9.createView(AppCompatDelegateImplV9.java:1021)
at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV9.onCreateView(AppCompatDelegateImplV9.java:1080)
at android.support.v4.view.LayoutInflaterCompatHC$FactoryWrapperHC.onCreateView(LayoutInflaterCompatHC.java:47)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:769)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:727)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:858)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflateChildren(LayoutInflater.java:821)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:518)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:426)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:377)
at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV9.setContentView(AppCompatDelegateImplV9.java:288)
at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.setContentView(AppCompatActivity.java:143)
at com.e_gineering.victorsvector.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:11)
at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6679)
at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1118)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2618)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2726)
at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap12(ActivityThread.java)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1477)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6119)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:886)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:776)
01-23 17:00:27.577 8125-8125/com.e_gineering.victorsvector E/AndroidRuntime: Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Path string cannot be empty.
at android.util.PathParser.nCreatePathDataFromString(Native Method)
at android.util.PathParser.-wrap1(PathParser.java)
at android.util.PathParser$PathData.<init>(PathParser.java:74)
at android.graphics.drawable.VectorDrawable$VFullPath.updateStateFromTypedArray(VectorDrawable.java:1914)
at android.graphics.drawable.VectorDrawable$VFullPath.inflate(VectorDrawable.java:1865)
at android.graphics.drawable.VectorDrawable.inflateChildElements(VectorDrawable.java:758)
at android.graphics.drawable.VectorDrawable.inflate(VectorDrawable.java:659)
at android.graphics.drawable.DrawableInflater.inflateFromXml(DrawableInflater.java:130)
at android.graphics.drawable.Drawable.createFromXmlInner(Drawable.java:1227)
at android.graphics.drawable.Drawable.createFromXml(Drawable.java:1200)
at android.content.res.ResourcesImpl.loadDrawableForCookie(ResourcesImpl.java:715)
... 33 more