CVE-2017-16944

Name: CVE-2017-16944
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-11-25T17:29:00.307+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 63.32%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2017-16944 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. The receive_msg function in receive.c in the SMTP daemon in Exim 4.88 and 4.89 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and stack exhaustion) via vectors involving BDAT commands and an improper check for a '.' character signifying the end of the content, related to the bdat_getc function.. EPSS estimates a 63.32% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The receive_msg function in receive.c in the SMTP daemon in Exim 4.88 and 4.89 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and stack exhaustion) via vectors involving BDAT commands and an improper check for a '.' character signifying the end of the content, related to the bdat_getc function.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

63.32%

99.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-835

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Exim	Exim	4.88
Exim	Exim	4.89
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/1Mailing List
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/2Mailing List
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/3Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/04/7
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039873Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2201Exploit, Issue Tracking
https://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20171125.034842.d1d75cac.en.htmlMailing List
https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-4053Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43184/Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/1Mailing List
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/2Mailing List
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/25/3Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/04/7
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039873Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2201Exploit, Issue Tracking
https://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20171125.034842.d1d75cac.en.htmlMailing List
https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-4053Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43184/Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

Timeline

Published: Nov 25, 2017
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16944?

How severe is CVE-2017-16944?

Severity scoring for CVE-2017-16944 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 63.32% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16944?

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-2017-16944?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST