How severe is CVE-2017-13704?

CVE-2017-13704 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-13704 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 65% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-13704?

CVE-2017-13704 primarily affects Thekelleys Dnsmasq. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-13704?

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

When was CVE-2017-13704 published?

CVE-2017-13704 was published on 2017-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-13704

CVE-2017-13704 is a high-severity vulnerability in Thekelleys Dnsmasq with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 65% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 65% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Thekelleys Dnsmasq
Published: 2017-10-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In dnsmasq before 2.78, if the DNS packet size does not match the expected size, the size parameter in a memset call gets a negative value. As it is an unsigned value, memset ends up writing up to 0xffffffff zero's (0xffffffffffffffff in 64 bit platforms), making dnsmasq crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-13704?: In dnsmasq before 2.78, if the DNS packet size does not match the expected size, the size parameter in a memset call gets a negative value. As it is an unsigned value, memset ends up writing up to 0xffffffff zero's (0xffffffffffffffff in 64 bit platforms), making dnsmasq crash.
How severe is CVE-2017-13704?: CVE-2017-13704 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-13704 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 65% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-13704?: CVE-2017-13704 primarily affects Thekelleys Dnsmasq. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-13704?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-13704 published?: CVE-2017-13704 was published on 2017-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (13)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:27:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:leap:42.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:leap:42.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:thekelleys:dnsmasq:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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