How severe is CVE-2017-16611?

CVE-2017-16611 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-2017-16611 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-16611?

CVE-2017-16611 primarily affects X Libxfont. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16611?

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

When was CVE-2017-16611 published?

CVE-2017-16611 was published on 2017-12-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-16611

CVE-2017-16611 is a medium-severity vulnerability in X Libxfont 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-59.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: X Libxfont
Published: 2017-12-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In libXfont before 1.5.4 and libXfont2 before 2.0.3, a local attacker can open (but not read) files on the system as root, triggering tape rewinds, watchdogs, or similar mechanisms that can be triggered by opening files.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-16611?: In libXfont before 1.5.4 and libXfont2 before 2.0.3, a local attacker can open (but not read) files on the system as root, triggering tape rewinds, watchdogs, or similar mechanisms that can be triggered by opening files.
How severe is CVE-2017-16611?: CVE-2017-16611 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-2017-16611 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-16611?: CVE-2017-16611 primarily affects X Libxfont. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16611?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-16611 published?: CVE-2017-16611 was published on 2017-12-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:x:libxfont:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in X Libxfont

CVE-2007-5199 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A single byte overflow in catalogue.c in X.Org libXfont 1.3.1 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact.
CVE-2013-6462 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Stack-based buffer overflow in the bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont 1.1 through 1.4.6…
CVE-2011-2895 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): The LZW decompressor in (1) the BufCompressedFill function in fontfile/decompress.c in X.Org libXfont before 1.4.4 and…
CVE-2015-1804 — High (CVSS 8.5): The bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont before 1.4.9 and 1.5.x before 1.5.1 does not…
CVE-2015-1803 — High (CVSS 8.5): The bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont before 1.4.9 and 1.5.x before 1.5.1 does not…
CVE-2015-1802 — High (CVSS 8.5): The bdfReadProperties function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont before 1.4.9 and 1.5.x before 1.5.1 allows remote…

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