How severe is CVE-2017-16667?

CVE-2017-16667 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-16667 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-16667?

CVE-2017-16667 affects Backintime Project Backintime. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16667?

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-2017-16667 published?

CVE-2017-16667 was published on 2017-11-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-16667

CVE-2017-16667 is a high-severity vulnerability in Backintime Project Backintime with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-78.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (70th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Backintime Project Backintime
Published: 2017-11-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

backintime (aka Back in Time) before 1.1.24 did improper escaping/quoting of file paths used as arguments to the 'notify-send' command, leading to some parts of file paths being executed as shell commands within an os.system call in qt4/plugins/notifyplugin.py. This could allow an attacker to craft an unreadable file with a specific name to run arbitrary shell commands.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-16667?: backintime (aka Back in Time) before 1.1.24 did improper escaping/quoting of file paths used as arguments to the 'notify-send' command, leading to some parts of file paths being executed as shell commands within an os.system call in qt4/plugins/notifyplugin.py. This could allow an attacker to craft an unreadable file with a specific name to run arbitrary shell commands.
How severe is CVE-2017-16667?: CVE-2017-16667 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-16667 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-16667?: CVE-2017-16667 affects Backintime Project Backintime. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16667?: 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-2017-16667 published?: CVE-2017-16667 was published on 2017-11-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:backintime_project:backintime:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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