How severe is CVE-2017-9079?

CVE-2017-9079 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2017-9079 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (21st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-9079?

CVE-2017-9079 primarily affects Dropbear Ssh Project Dropbear Ssh. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-9079?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2017-9079 published?

CVE-2017-9079 was published on 2017-05-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-9079

CVE-2017-9079 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Dropbear Ssh Project Dropbear Ssh with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7. 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-732.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.7)
CVSS v2: 4.7
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (21st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: Dropbear Ssh Project Dropbear Ssh
Published: 2017-05-19
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Dropbear before 2017.75 might allow local users to read certain files as root, if the file has the authorized_keys file format with a command= option. This occurs because ~/.ssh/authorized_keys is read with root privileges and symlinks are followed.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-9079?: Dropbear before 2017.75 might allow local users to read certain files as root, if the file has the authorized_keys file format with a command= option. This occurs because ~/.ssh/authorized_keys is read with root privileges and symlinks are followed.
How severe is CVE-2017-9079?: CVE-2017-9079 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2017-9079 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (21st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-9079?: CVE-2017-9079 primarily affects Dropbear Ssh Project Dropbear Ssh. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-9079?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-9079 published?: CVE-2017-9079 was published on 2017-05-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:dropbear_ssh_project:dropbear_ssh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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