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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2017-16544: BusyBox · Code Injection

Source CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High : upgrade to 1.27.3 soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
6.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 93% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 1.27.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 20 Nov 2017

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade the Alpine alpine/busybox package to 1.27.3.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Alpinealpine/busyboxpkg:apk/alpine/busyboxOther threatsAffected
  • <1.27.3
Fixed in
  • 1.27.3

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2017-16544, European organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Identify and inventory all devices and systems using BusyBox, particularly those running versions up to 1.27.2. 3) Implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges on devices running BusyBox, reducing the risk of exploitation by unauthorized users. 4) Monitor filesystem directories for suspicious filenames containing escape sequences or control characters that could be used to trigger this vulnerability. 5) Employ application whitelisting or endpoint protection solutions on devices where feasible to detect or block unauthorized code execution. 6) For embedded devices that cannot be easily updated, consider network segmentation and isolation to limit exposure. 7) Educate system administrators and users about the risks of executing autocomplete in untrusted directories and encourage safe operational practices. 8) Regularly audit and review device firmware and software versions to ensure timely patching of known vulnerabilities.

Description

In the add_match function in libbb/lineedit.c in BusyBox through 1.27.2, the tab autocomplete feature of the shell, used to get a list of filenames in a directory, does not sanitize filenames and results in executing any escape sequence in the terminal. This could potentially result in code execution, arbitrary file writes, or other attacks.

References

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