How severe is CVE-2017-5972?

CVE-2017-5972 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-5972 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 24% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-5972?

CVE-2017-5972 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5972?

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-2017-5972 published?

CVE-2017-5972 was published on 2017-02-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-5972

CVE-2017-5972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 24% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-400.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 7.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 24% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2017-02-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The TCP stack in the Linux kernel 3.x does not properly implement a SYN cookie protection mechanism for the case of a fast network connection, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by sending many TCP SYN packets, as demonstrated by an attack against the kernel-3.10.0 package in CentOS Linux 7. NOTE: third parties have been unable to discern any relationship between the GitHub Engineering finding and the Trigemini.c attack code.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5972?: The TCP stack in the Linux kernel 3.x does not properly implement a SYN cookie protection mechanism for the case of a fast network connection, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by sending many TCP SYN packets, as demonstrated by an attack against the kernel-3.10.0 package in CentOS Linux 7. NOTE: third parties have been unable to discern any relationship between the GitHub Engineering finding and the Trigemini.c attack code.
How severe is CVE-2017-5972?: CVE-2017-5972 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-5972 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 24% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-5972?: CVE-2017-5972 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5972?: 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-2017-5972 published?: CVE-2017-5972 was published on 2017-02-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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