{"id":"CVE-2017-13872","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2017-13872","generatedAt":"2026-10-29T01:42:08.181Z","title":"It allows attackers to obtain administrator access without a password via certain interactions involving entry of the root user name.","description":"An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS High Sierra before Security Update 2017-001 is affected. The issue involves the \"Directory Utility\" component. It allows attackers to obtain administrator access without a password via certain interactions involving entry of the root user name.","published":"2017-11-29T17:29:00.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T01:05:19.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"product-security@apple.com","cvss":{"version":"3.0","score":8.1,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-287"],"affected":["apple/mac os x"],"epss":{"score":0.36773,"percentile":0.98497,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[{"date":"2026-09-21","score":0.34898,"percentile":0.98402},{"date":"2026-09-22","score":0.36773,"percentile":0.98434}]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":2,"verified":true,"firstPublished":"2017-11-28","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":43201,"kind":"exploit","title":"Apple macOS 10.13.1 (High Sierra) - 'Blank Root' Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43201","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/macos/local/43201.rb","file":"exploits/macos/local/43201.rb","published":"2017-11-30","added":"2017-11-30","updated":"2017-12-08","author":"Metasploit","type":"local","platform":"macos","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2017-13872"],"tags":"Metasploit Framework (MSF)","aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/c69582836172a004b7fea2b9a66fce7fa3bc47c5/modules/exploits/osx/local/root_no_password.rb"},{"edbId":43248,"kind":"exploit","title":"Apple macOS 10.13.1 (High Sierra) - 'Blank Root' Local Privilege Escalation","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43248","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/macos/local/43248.md","file":"exploits/macos/local/43248.md","published":"2017-11-28","added":"2017-12-08","updated":"2017-12-08","author":"Lemiorhan","type":"local","platform":"macos","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2017-13872"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/79235"}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 36.8%, higher than 98% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101981","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039875","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/11/macos-bug-lets-you-log-in-as-admin-with-no-password-required/","tags":["Mitigation","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/9302","source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://objective-see.com/blog/blog_0x24.html","tags":["Exploit","Technical Description","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://support.apple.com/HT208315","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://support.apple.com/HT208331","source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43201/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43248/","source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"https://www.wired.com/story/macos-update-undoes-apple-root-bug-patch/","tags":["Press/Media Coverage","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"product-security@apple.com"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101981","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039875","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/11/macos-bug-lets-you-log-in-as-admin-with-no-password-required/","tags":["Mitigation","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/9302","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://objective-see.com/blog/blog_0x24.html","tags":["Exploit","Technical Description","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://support.apple.com/HT208315","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://support.apple.com/HT208331","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43201/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43248/","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.wired.com/story/macos-update-undoes-apple-root-bug-patch/","tags":["Press/Media Coverage","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-13872","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}