CVE-2017-8538
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and…
Does this matter?
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 50.0%, higher than 99% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window.
Description
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8540 and CVE-2017-8541.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 50.00% probability · 99th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 29 May 2017
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-119
- Affected
- microsoft/forefront security · microsoft/malware protection engine · microsoft/windows defender
- Source
- secure@microsoft.com
EPSS moved from 40.6% on 21 September 2026 to 50.0% on 27 October 2026. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”.
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98706Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8538Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42081/
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98706Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8538Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42081/
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.