How severe is CVE-2017-12588?

CVE-2017-12588 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-12588 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-12588?

CVE-2017-12588 affects Rsyslog. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12588?

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-2017-12588 published?

CVE-2017-12588 was published on 2017-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-12588

CVE-2017-12588 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Rsyslog with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-134
Affected product: Rsyslog
Published: 2017-08-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The zmq3 input and output modules in rsyslog before 8.28.0 interpreted description fields as format strings, possibly allowing a format string attack with unspecified impact.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-12588?: The zmq3 input and output modules in rsyslog before 8.28.0 interpreted description fields as format strings, possibly allowing a format string attack with unspecified impact.
How severe is CVE-2017-12588?: CVE-2017-12588 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-12588 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-12588?: CVE-2017-12588 affects Rsyslog. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-12588?: 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-2017-12588 published?: CVE-2017-12588 was published on 2017-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:rsyslog:rsyslog:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Rsyslog

CVE-2019-17042 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Rsyslog v8.1908.0. contrib/pmcisconames/pmcisconames.c has a heap overflow in the parser for…
CVE-2019-17041 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Rsyslog v8.1908.0. contrib/pmaixforwardedfrom/pmaixforwardedfrom.c has a heap overflow in…
CVE-2019-17040 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): contrib/pmdb2diag/pmdb2diag.c in Rsyslog v8.1908.0 allows out-of-bounds access because the level length is mishandled.
CVE-2008-5617 — High (CVSS 8.5): The ACL handling in rsyslog 3.12.1 to 3.20.0, 4.1.0, and 4.1.1 does not follow $AllowedSender directive, which allows…
CVE-2022-24903 — High (CVSS 8.1): Rsyslog is a rocket-fast system for log processing. Modules for TCP syslog reception have a potential heap buffer…
CVE-2018-16881 — High (CVSS 7.5): A denial of service vulnerability was found in rsyslog in the imptcp module. An attacker could send a specially crafted…

All CVEs affecting Rsyslog →

Other CWE-134 vulnerabilities

CVE-2012-1851 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in the Print Spooler service in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2,…
CVE-2012-0242 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess before 7.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2011-2475 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in ECTrace.dll in the iMailGateway service in the Internet Mail Gateway in OneBridge Server…
CVE-2011-1568 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in the logText function in shmemmgr9.dll in IGSSdataServer.exe 9.00.00.11074, and…
CVE-2010-4235 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in RealNetworks Helix Server 12.x, 13.x, and 14.x before 14.2, and Helix Mobile Server…
CVE-2011-0270 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in nnmRptConfig.exe in HP OpenView Network Node Manager (OV NNM) 7.51 and 7.53 allows…

Browse all CWE-134 vulnerabilities →