How severe is CVE-2017-12997?

CVE-2017-12997 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-2017-12997 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-12997?

CVE-2017-12997 affects Tcpdump. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12997?

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-2017-12997 published?

CVE-2017-12997 was published on 2017-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-12997

CVE-2017-12997 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Tcpdump 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Tcpdump
Published: 2017-09-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The LLDP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in print-lldp.c:lldp_private_8021_print().

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-12997?: The LLDP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in print-lldp.c:lldp_private_8021_print().
How severe is CVE-2017-12997?: CVE-2017-12997 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-2017-12997 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-12997?: CVE-2017-12997 affects Tcpdump. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-12997?: 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-2017-12997 published?: CVE-2017-12997 was published on 2017-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:tcpdump:tcpdump:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Tcpdump

CVE-2018-10105 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): tcpdump before 4.9.3 mishandles the printing of SMB data (issue 2 of 2).
CVE-2018-10103 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): tcpdump before 4.9.3 mishandles the printing of SMB data (issue 1 of 2).
CVE-2017-13725 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IPv6 routing header parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-rt6.c:rt6_print().
CVE-2017-13690 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IKEv2 parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-isakmp.c, several functions.
CVE-2017-13689 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IKEv1 parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-isakmp.c:ikev1_id_print().
CVE-2017-13688 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The OLSR parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-olsr.c:olsr_print().

All CVEs affecting Tcpdump →

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