{"id":"CVE-2017-5899","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2017-5899","generatedAt":"2026-10-29T00:29:14.531Z","title":"Directory traversal vulnerability in the setuid root helper binary in S-nail (later S-mailx) before 14.8.16 allows local users to write to arbitrary files and consequently gain root privileges via a ..","description":"Directory traversal vulnerability in the setuid root helper binary in S-nail (later S-mailx) before 14.8.16 allows local users to write to arbitrary files and consequently gain root privileges via a .. (dot dot) in the randstr argument.","published":"2017-03-27T15:59:00.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T01:21:24.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"cve@mitre.org","cvss":{"version":"3.0","score":7,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-22","CWE-362"],"affected":["s-nail project/s-nail"],"epss":{"score":0.00976,"percentile":0.61948,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2019-01-13","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":47172,"kind":"exploit","title":"S-nail < 14.8.16 - Local Privilege Escalation","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47172","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/multiple/local/47172.sh","file":"exploits/multiple/local/47172.sh","published":"2019-01-13","added":"2019-07-26","updated":"2019-07-26","author":"bcoles","type":"local","platform":"multiple","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2017-5899"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://github.com/bcoles/local-exploits/blob/3c5cd80a7c59ccd29a2c2a1cdbf71e0de8e66c11/CVE-2017-5899/exploit.sh"}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB and the impact is high, while EPSS rates exploitation at 1.0%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/27/7","tags":["Exploit","Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/02/07/4","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96138","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"https://www.mail-archive.com/s-nail-users%40lists.sourceforge.net/msg00551.html","source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/27/7","tags":["Exploit","Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/02/07/4","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96138","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.mail-archive.com/s-nail-users%40lists.sourceforge.net/msg00551.html","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5899","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."}