CVE-2017-2616VulnerabilityPublished 27 Jul 2018Updated 9 Jun 2025

CVE-2017-2616: util-linux · CWE-267

Affects util-linuxSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 2.32.1 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.0 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 20% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 2.32.1

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 Jul 2018
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade util-linux to 2.32.1.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Red Hatutil-linux`pkg:rpm/util-linux`Other threats	Affected <2.32.1	Fixed in 2.32.1

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

AI-suggested

Organizations should ensure all Linux systems are updated to util-linux version 2.32.1 or later, where this race condition is fixed. Patch management processes must prioritize this update, especially on multi-user systems and servers exposed to multiple local users. System administrators should audit user privileges to limit local access only to trusted personnel and consider employing mandatory access controls (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to restrict process management capabilities. Monitoring and alerting on unexpected termination of root processes can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing robust logging and integrity monitoring can assist in early detection of suspicious activity. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, restricting access to the 'su' command or replacing it with more secure alternatives (e.g., sudo with strict policies) can reduce risk.

Description

A race condition was found in util-linux before 2.32.1 in the way su handled the management of child processes. A local authenticated attacker could use this flaw to kill other processes with root privileges under specific conditions.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to disruption of critical services if exploited by malicious insiders or compromised local accounts. Since util-linux is ubiquitous in Linux distributions, many servers, workstations, and embedded devices could be affected. The ability to kill root processes could cause denial of service conditions, impacting availability of essential services such as authentication, logging, or system management. This is particularly concerning for organizations with shared Linux environments, such as universities, research institutions, and enterprises using Linux-based infrastructure. While the vulnerability does not allow privilege escalation or data theft directly, the resulting service interruptions could affect business continuity and operational stability. Additionally, in regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, or critical infrastructure within Europe, even availability disruptions can have compliance and reputational consequences.

CWE-267Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions (opens in a new tab)
Base weakness
A particular privilege, role, capability, or right can be used to perform unsafe actions that were not intended, even when it is assigned to the correct entity.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Operation · Environment Hardening
Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Restful Privilege Elevation (opens in a new tab)
Probe Audio and Video Peripherals (opens in a new tab)
Collect Data from Clipboard (opens in a new tab)
Identify Shared Files/Directories on System (opens in a new tab)
Collect Data from Screen Capture (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Jul 2025, 21:16 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-267

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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