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CVE-2017-17440 : What You Need to Know

Learn about CVE-2017-17440 affecting GNU Libextractor 1.6. Remote attackers can exploit a vulnerability to cause a denial of service by triggering a NULL pointer dereference in the application.

CVE-2017-17440 was published on December 6, 2017, and affects GNU Libextractor 1.6. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by exploiting a specific function in the application.

Understanding CVE-2017-17440

This CVE entry describes a vulnerability in GNU Libextractor 1.6 that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt the application and trigger a denial of service.

What is CVE-2017-17440?

Remote attackers can exploit a vulnerability in GNU Libextractor 1.6 to disrupt the application and cause a denial of service. By providing a maliciously crafted file, such as a GIF, IT, NSFE, S3M, SID, or XM file, the attacker can trigger a NULL pointer dereference and crash the application. This vulnerability is present in the EXTRACTOR_xm_extract_method function located in plugins/xm_extractor.c.

The Impact of CVE-2017-17440

The vulnerability can lead to a denial of service condition, potentially causing the application to crash and become unresponsive.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-17440

CVE-2017-17440 affects GNU Libextractor 1.6 and has the following technical details:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit a specific function in GNU Libextractor 1.6, leading to a NULL pointer dereference and application crash.

Affected Systems and Versions

        Product: GNU Libextractor 1.6
        Vendor: GNU
        Versions: All versions are affected

Exploitation Mechanism

        Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by providing a specially crafted file (e.g., GIF, IT, NSFE, S3M, SID, or XM) to trigger the NULL pointer dereference in the application.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-17440, consider the following mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

        Apply vendor patches or updates as soon as they are available.
        Avoid opening files from untrusted or unknown sources.
        Monitor security mailing lists for any updates or advisories related to GNU Libextractor.

Long-Term Security Practices

        Regularly update and patch software to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
        Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious file uploads.

Patching and Updates

        Check the GNU Libextractor website or security advisories for patches or updates to address CVE-2017-17440.

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