How severe is CVE-2017-17454?

CVE-2017-17454 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.

Is CVE-2017-17454 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-17454?

CVE-2017-17454 affects Mahara. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-17454?

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

When was CVE-2017-17454 published?

CVE-2017-17454 was published on 2018-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-17454

CVE-2017-17454 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mahara with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.4. 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-79.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.4)
CVSS v2: 3.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (49th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-79
Affected product: Mahara
Published: 2018-02-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Mahara 16.10 before 16.10.7 and 17.04 before 17.04.5 and 17.10 before 17.10.2 have a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability when a user enters invalid UTF-8 characters. These are now going to be discarded in Mahara along with NULL characters and invalid Unicode characters. Mahara will also avoid direct $_GET and $_POST usage where possible, and instead use param_exists() and the correct param_*() function to fetch the expected value.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-17454?: Mahara 16.10 before 16.10.7 and 17.04 before 17.04.5 and 17.10 before 17.10.2 have a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability when a user enters invalid UTF-8 characters. These are now going to be discarded in Mahara along with NULL characters and invalid Unicode characters. Mahara will also avoid direct $_GET and $_POST usage where possible, and instead use param_exists() and the correct param_*() function to fetch the expected value.
How severe is CVE-2017-17454?: CVE-2017-17454 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2017-17454 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-17454?: CVE-2017-17454 affects Mahara. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-17454?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-17454 published?: CVE-2017-17454 was published on 2018-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:mahara:mahara:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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