CVE-2017-5618
GNU screen before 4.5.1 allows local users to modify arbitrary files and consequently gain root privileges by leveraging improper checking of logfile permissions.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (1.09%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
GNU screen before 4.5.1 allows local users to modify arbitrary files and consequently gain root privileges by leveraging improper checking of logfile permissions.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 1.09% probability · 65th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-863
- Affected
- gnu/screen
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 1.1% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/screen.git/patch/?id=1c6d2817926d30c9a7a97d99af7ac5de4a5845b8Patch, Third Party Advisory
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/screen.git/tree/src/ChangeLog?h=v.4.5.1Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
- http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?50142Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/29/3Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95873Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/screen-devel/2017-01/msg00025.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/screen.git/patch/?id=1c6d2817926d30c9a7a97d99af7ac5de4a5845b8Patch, Third Party Advisory
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/screen.git/tree/src/ChangeLog?h=v.4.5.1Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
- http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?50142Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/29/3Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95873Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/screen-devel/2017-01/msg00025.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.