CVE-2017-17562

CVE-2017-17562 is a high-severity vulnerability in Embedthis Goahead with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2021-12-10).

Key facts

Description

Embedthis GoAhead before 3.6.5 allows remote code execution if CGI is enabled and a CGI program is dynamically linked. This is a result of initializing the environment of forked CGI scripts using untrusted HTTP request parameters in the cgiHandler function in cgi.c. When combined with the glibc dynamic linker, this behaviour can be abused for remote code execution using special parameter names such as LD_PRELOAD. An attacker can POST their shared object payload in the body of the request, and reference it using /proc/self/fd/0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-17562?
Embedthis GoAhead before 3.6.5 allows remote code execution if CGI is enabled and a CGI program is dynamically linked. This is a result of initializing the environment of forked CGI scripts using untrusted HTTP request parameters in the cgiHandler function in cgi.c. When combined with the glibc dynamic linker, this behaviour can be abused for remote code execution using special parameter names such as LD_PRELOAD. An attacker can POST their shared object payload in the body of the request, and reference it using /proc/self/fd/0.
How severe is CVE-2017-17562?
CVE-2017-17562 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-17562 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2017-17562 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-12-10, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-17562?
CVE-2017-17562 primarily affects Embedthis Goahead. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-17562?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2017-17562 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2017-17562 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2017-8720. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-12-10).
When was CVE-2017-17562 published?
CVE-2017-17562 was published on 2017-12-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

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