How severe is CVE-2017-6517?

CVE-2017-6517 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-6517 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 46% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-6517?

CVE-2017-6517 affects Microsoft Skype. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-6517?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2017-6517 published?

CVE-2017-6517 was published on 2017-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-6517

CVE-2017-6517 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Skype with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 46% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-427.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 46% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-427
Affected product: Microsoft Skype
Published: 2017-03-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Microsoft Skype 7.16.0.102 contains a vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. This vulnerability exists due to the way .dll files are loaded by Skype. It allows an attacker to load a .dll of the attacker's choosing that could execute arbitrary code without the user's knowledge.The specific flaw exists within the handling of DLL (api-ms-win-core-winrt-string-l1-1-0.dll) loading by the Skype.exe process.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-6517?: Microsoft Skype 7.16.0.102 contains a vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. This vulnerability exists due to the way .dll files are loaded by Skype. It allows an attacker to load a .dll of the attacker's choosing that could execute arbitrary code without the user's knowledge.The specific flaw exists within the handling of DLL (api-ms-win-core-winrt-string-l1-1-0.dll) loading by the Skype.exe process.
How severe is CVE-2017-6517?: CVE-2017-6517 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-6517 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 46% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-6517?: CVE-2017-6517 affects Microsoft Skype. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-6517?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-6517 published?: CVE-2017-6517 was published on 2017-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:skype:7.16.0.102:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) vulnerabilities

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