How severe is CVE-2017-16857?

CVE-2017-16857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-16857 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (44th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-16857?

CVE-2017-16857 primarily affects Atlassian Bitbucket Auto Unapprove Plugin. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16857?

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-2017-16857 published?

CVE-2017-16857 was published on 2017-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-16857

CVE-2017-16857 is a high-severity vulnerability in Atlassian Bitbucket Auto Unapprove Plugin with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5. 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-362.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.5)
CVSS v2: 6.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (44th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Atlassian Bitbucket Auto Unapprove Plugin
Published: 2017-12-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It is possible to bypass the bitbucket auto-unapprove plugin via minimal brute-force because it is relying on asynchronous events on the back-end. This allows an attacker to merge any code into unsuspecting repositories. This affects all versions of the auto-unapprove plugin, however since the auto-unapprove plugin is not bundled with Bitbucket Server it does not affect any particular version of Bitbucket.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-16857?: It is possible to bypass the bitbucket auto-unapprove plugin via minimal brute-force because it is relying on asynchronous events on the back-end. This allows an attacker to merge any code into unsuspecting repositories. This affects all versions of the auto-unapprove plugin, however since the auto-unapprove plugin is not bundled with Bitbucket Server it does not affect any particular version of Bitbucket.
How severe is CVE-2017-16857?: CVE-2017-16857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-16857 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (44th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-16857?: CVE-2017-16857 primarily affects Atlassian Bitbucket Auto Unapprove Plugin. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16857?: 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-2017-16857 published?: CVE-2017-16857 was published on 2017-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/BSERV-10439

Affected products (11)

cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:1.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:2.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:atlassian:bitbucket_auto_unapprove_plugin:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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