CVE-2017-5972

Name: CVE-2017-5972
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-02-14T06:59:00.277+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 23.89%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2017-5972 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. The TCP stack in the Linux kernel 3.x does not properly implement a SYN cookie protection mechanism for the case of a fast network connection, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by sending many TCP SYN packets, as demonstrated by an attack against the kernel-3.10.0 package in CentOS Linux 7. NOTE: third parties have been unable to discern any relationship between the GitHub Engineering finding and the Trigemini.c attack code.. EPSS estimates a 23.89% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The TCP stack in the Linux kernel 3.x does not properly implement a SYN cookie protection mechanism for the case of a fast network connection, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by sending many TCP SYN packets, as demonstrated by an attack against the kernel-3.10.0 package in CentOS Linux 7. NOTE: third parties have been unable to discern any relationship between the GitHub Engineering finding and the Trigemini.c attack code.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

23.89%

97.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-400

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 3.0.0, <= 3.19.8

References

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2017/q1/573Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96231Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2017-5972Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1422081Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2017020112Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://githubengineering.com/syn-flood-mitigation-with-synsanity/Third Party Advisory
https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141083/CentOS7-Kernel-Denial-Of-Service.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-5972Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41350/Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2017/q1/573Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96231Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2017-5972Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1422081Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2017020112Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://githubengineering.com/syn-flood-mitigation-with-synsanity/Third Party Advisory
https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141083/CentOS7-Kernel-Denial-Of-Service.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-5972Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41350/Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

Timeline

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-5972?

How severe is CVE-2017-5972?

CVE-2017-5972 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 23.89% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5972?

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-2017-5972?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST