How severe is CVE-2017-0898?

CVE-2017-0898 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-0898 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 10% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-0898?

CVE-2017-0898 primarily affects Ruby-lang Ruby. In total, 15 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-0898?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2017-0898 published?

CVE-2017-0898 was published on 2017-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-0898

CVE-2017-0898 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Ruby-lang Ruby with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-134.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
CVSS v2: 6.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 10% (95th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-134
Affected product: Ruby-lang Ruby
Published: 2017-09-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Ruby before 2.4.2, 2.3.5, and 2.2.8 is vulnerable to a malicious format string which contains a precious specifier (*) with a huge minus value. Such situation can lead to a buffer overrun, resulting in a heap memory corruption or an information disclosure from the heap.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-0898?: Ruby before 2.4.2, 2.3.5, and 2.2.8 is vulnerable to a malicious format string which contains a precious specifier (*) with a huge minus value. Such situation can lead to a buffer overrun, resulting in a heap memory corruption or an information disclosure from the heap.
How severe is CVE-2017-0898?: CVE-2017-0898 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-0898 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 10% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-0898?: CVE-2017-0898 primarily affects Ruby-lang Ruby. In total, 15 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-0898?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-0898 published?: CVE-2017-0898 was published on 2017-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (15)

cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:2.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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