How severe is CVE-2017-11171?

CVE-2017-11171 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-11171 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (24th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-11171?

CVE-2017-11171 affects Gnome Gnome-session. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-11171?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2017-11171 published?

CVE-2017-11171 was published on 2017-07-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-11171

CVE-2017-11171 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnome Gnome-session with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (24th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Gnome Gnome-session
Published: 2017-07-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-11171?: Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
How severe is CVE-2017-11171?: CVE-2017-11171 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-11171 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (24th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-11171?: CVE-2017-11171 affects Gnome Gnome-session. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-11171?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-11171 published?: CVE-2017-11171 was published on 2017-07-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnome:gnome-session:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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