CVE-2017-16355

Name: CVE-2017-16355
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-12-14T22:29:00.21+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.7/10EPSS 0.36%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2017-16355 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.7/10 on the CVSS scale. In agent/Core/SpawningKit/Spawner.h in Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 (fixed in Passenger Open Source 5.1.11 and Passenger Enterprise 5.1.10), if Passenger is running as root, it is possible to list the contents of arbitrary files on a system by symlinking a file named REVISION from the application root folder to a file of choice and querying passenger-status --show=xml.. EPSS estimates a 0.36% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In agent/Core/SpawningKit/Spawner.h in Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 (fixed in Passenger Open Source 5.1.11 and Passenger Enterprise 5.1.10), if Passenger is running as root, it is possible to list the contents of arbitrary files on a system by symlinking a file named REVISION from the application root folder to a file of choice and querying passenger-status --show=xml.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

4.7/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.36%

27.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-200

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Phusion	Passenger	>= 5.0.10, < 5.1.10
Phusion	Passenger	>= 5.0.10, < 5.1.11
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

https://blog.phusion.nl/2017/10/13/passenger-security-advisory-5-1-11/Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/phusion/passenger/commit/4043718264095cde6623c2cbe8c644541036d7bfPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Mar/34Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4415Third Party Advisory
https://blog.phusion.nl/2017/10/13/passenger-security-advisory-5-1-11/Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/phusion/passenger/commit/4043718264095cde6623c2cbe8c644541036d7bfPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Mar/34Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4415Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 14, 2017
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16355?

How severe is CVE-2017-16355?

CVE-2017-16355 has a CVSS score of 4.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.36% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16355?

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-2017-16355?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST