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CVE-2017-14604

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 2.47%

Last modified

CVE-2017-14604 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. GNOME Nautilus before 3.23.90 allows attackers to spoof a file type by using the .desktop file extension, as demonstrated by an attack in which a .desktop file's Name field ends in .pdf but this file's Exec field launches a malicious "sh -c" command. In other words, Nautilus provides no UI indication that a file actually has the potentially unsafe .desktop extension; instead, the UI only shows the .pdf extension. EPSS estimates a 2.47% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

GNOME Nautilus before 3.23.90 allows attackers to spoof a file type by using the .desktop file extension, as demonstrated by an attack in which a .desktop file's Name field ends in .pdf but this file's Exec field launches a malicious "sh -c" command. In other words, Nautilus provides no UI indication that a file actually has the potentially unsafe .desktop extension; instead, the UI only shows the .pdf extension. One (slightly) mitigating factor is that an attack requires the .desktop file to have execute permission. The solution is to ask the user to confirm that the file is supposed to be treated as a .desktop file, and then remember the user's answer in the metadata::trusted field.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS Probability
2.47%

82.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
GnomeNautilus< 3.23.90
DebianDebian Linux8.0
DebianDebian Linux9.0
DebianDebian Linux10.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-14604?
GNOME Nautilus before 3.23.90 allows attackers to spoof a file type by using the .desktop file extension, as demonstrated by an attack in which a .desktop file's Name field ends in .pdf but this file's Exec field launches a malicious "sh -c" command. In other words, Nautilus provides no UI indication that a file actually has the potentially unsafe .desktop extension; instead, the UI only shows the .pdf extension. One (slightly) mitigating factor is that an attack requires the .desktop file to have execute permission. The solution is to ask the user to confirm that the file is supposed to be treated as a .desktop file, and then remember the user's answer in the metadata::trusted field.
How severe is CVE-2017-14604?
CVE-2017-14604 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.47% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2017-14604?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2017-14604?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST