How severe is CVE-2017-13728?

CVE-2017-13728 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-2017-13728 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-13728?

CVE-2017-13728 affects Gnu Ncurses. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-13728?

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-2017-13728 published?

CVE-2017-13728 was published on 2017-08-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-13728

CVE-2017-13728 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Ncurses with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Gnu Ncurses
Published: 2017-08-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

There is an infinite loop in the next_char function in comp_scan.c in ncurses 6.0, related to libtic. A crafted input will lead to a remote denial of service attack.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-13728?: There is an infinite loop in the next_char function in comp_scan.c in ncurses 6.0, related to libtic. A crafted input will lead to a remote denial of service attack.
How severe is CVE-2017-13728?: CVE-2017-13728 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-2017-13728 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-13728?: CVE-2017-13728 affects Gnu Ncurses. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-13728?: 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-2017-13728 published?: CVE-2017-13728 was published on 2017-08-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:ncurses:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Ncurses

CVE-2017-10685 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In ncurses 6.0, there is a format string vulnerability in the fmt_entry function. A crafted input will lead to a remote…
CVE-2017-10684 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In ncurses 6.0, there is a stack-based buffer overflow in the fmt_entry function. A crafted input will lead to a remote…
CVE-2021-39537 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in ncurses through v6.2-1. _nc_captoinfo in captoinfo.c has a heap-based buffer overflow.
CVE-2023-29491 — High (CVSS 7.8): ncurses before 6.4 20230408, when used by a setuid application, allows local users to trigger security-relevant memory…
CVE-2017-16879 — High (CVSS 7.8): Stack-based buffer overflow in the _nc_write_entry function in tinfo/write_entry.c in ncurses 6.0 allows attackers to…
CVE-2017-11113 — High (CVSS 7.5): In ncurses 6.0, there is a NULL Pointer Dereference in the _nc_parse_entry function of tinfo/parse_entry.c. It could…

All CVEs affecting Gnu Ncurses →

Other CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-24816 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') vulnerability in datavane tis…
CVE-2018-20784 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel before 4.20.2, kernel/sched/fair.c mishandles leaf cfs_rq's, which allows attackers to cause a…
CVE-2017-12997 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The LLDP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in…
CVE-2017-12995 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The DNS parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in print-domain.c:ns_print().
CVE-2017-12990 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The ISAKMP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to bugs in print-isakmp.c, several functions.
CVE-2026-31448 — Critical (CVSS 9.4): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: avoid infinite loops caused by residual…

Browse all CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop)) vulnerabilities →