How severe is CVE-2017-6964?

CVE-2017-6964 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-6964 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-6964?

CVE-2017-6964 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-6964?

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-2017-6964 published?

CVE-2017-6964 was published on 2017-03-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-6964

CVE-2017-6964 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-252.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-252
Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux
Published: 2017-03-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

dmcrypt-get-device, as shipped in the eject package of Debian and Ubuntu, does not check the return value of the (1) setuid or (2) setgid function, which might cause dmcrypt-get-device to execute code, which was intended to run as an unprivileged user, as root. This affects eject through 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1 on Debian, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.16.10.1 on Ubuntu 16.10, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.16.04.1 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.14.04.1 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-9ubuntu0.1 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-6964?: dmcrypt-get-device, as shipped in the eject package of Debian and Ubuntu, does not check the return value of the (1) setuid or (2) setgid function, which might cause dmcrypt-get-device to execute code, which was intended to run as an unprivileged user, as root. This affects eject through 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1 on Debian, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.16.10.1 on Ubuntu 16.10, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.16.04.1 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-13.1ubuntu0.14.04.1 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and eject before 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-9ubuntu0.1 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.
How severe is CVE-2017-6964?: CVE-2017-6964 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-6964 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-6964?: CVE-2017-6964 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-6964?: 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-2017-6964 published?: CVE-2017-6964 was published on 2017-03-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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