How severe is CVE-2017-17521?

CVE-2017-17521 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-17521 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-17521?

CVE-2017-17521 affects Fontforge. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-17521?

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-2017-17521 published?

CVE-2017-17521 was published on 2017-12-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-17521

CVE-2017-17521 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fontforge with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-74.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-74
Affected product: Fontforge
Published: 2017-12-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

uiutil.c in FontForge through 20170731 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWSER environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to conduct argument-injection attacks via a crafted URL, a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-17534.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-17521?: uiutil.c in FontForge through 20170731 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWSER environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to conduct argument-injection attacks via a crafted URL, a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-17534.
How severe is CVE-2017-17521?: CVE-2017-17521 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-17521 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-17521?: CVE-2017-17521 affects Fontforge. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-17521?: 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-2017-17521 published?: CVE-2017-17521 was published on 2017-12-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-17521

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:fontforge:fontforge:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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