MEDIUM CVSS 5.5
Published: 2017-07-11

CVE-2017-11171

gnome gnome-session Security Advisory (CVE-2017-11171)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
Seeking technical exploit breakdowns or verified PoC code for CVE-2017-11171?
🔬 Search Writeups & Exploit Archive →

CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-11171 impacting gnome gnome-session. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gnome / gnome-session
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-835

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2017-11171 impacting gnome gnome-session.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-11171.yaml
id: cve-2017-11171

info:
  name: gnome gnome-session - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-11171 affecting gnome gnome-session.
    Evaluation: Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-11171
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 5.5
    cve-id: CVE-2017-11171
    cwe-id: CWE-835
  tags: cve,cve-2017-11171,gnome,gnome-session,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "gnome-session"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-11171.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-11171
# Target: gnome gnome-session | CVSS: 5.5 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-11171 (gnome gnome-session)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against gnome gnome-session scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2017-11171.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-11171
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install gnome-session 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade gnome-session 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update gnome-session

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i gnome-session 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i gnome-session

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-11171 in gnome gnome-session?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gnome gnome-session packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2017-11171?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2017-11171?

CVE-2017-11171 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.5
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-11171
Weakness CWE-835
Vendor gnome
Product gnome-session
Published 2017-07-11
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H