How severe is CVE-2017-5231?

CVE-2017-5231 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.

Is CVE-2017-5231 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-5231?

CVE-2017-5231 affects Rapid7 Metasploit. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5231?

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-2017-5231 published?

CVE-2017-5231 was published on 2017-03-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-5231

CVE-2017-5231 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rapid7 Metasploit with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. 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-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 5.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (65th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Rapid7 Metasploit
Published: 2017-03-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

All editions of Rapid7 Metasploit prior to version 4.13.0-2017020701 contain a directory traversal vulnerability in the Meterpreter stdapi CommandDispatcher.cmd_download() function. By using a specially-crafted build of Meterpreter, it is possible to write to an arbitrary directory on the Metasploit console with the permissions of the running Metasploit instance.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5231?: All editions of Rapid7 Metasploit prior to version 4.13.0-2017020701 contain a directory traversal vulnerability in the Meterpreter stdapi CommandDispatcher.cmd_download() function. By using a specially-crafted build of Meterpreter, it is possible to write to an arbitrary directory on the Metasploit console with the permissions of the running Metasploit instance.
How severe is CVE-2017-5231?: CVE-2017-5231 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.
Is CVE-2017-5231 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-5231?: CVE-2017-5231 affects Rapid7 Metasploit. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5231?: 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-2017-5231 published?: CVE-2017-5231 was published on 2017-03-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:rapid7:metasploit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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