HIGH CVSS 7.1
Published: 2017-10-11

CVE-2017-13720

x.org libxfont Security Advisory (CVE-2017-13720)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-13720 impacting x.org libxfont. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.1 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
In the PatternMatch function in fontfile/fontdir.c in libXfont through 1.5.2 and 2.x before 2.0.2, an attacker with access to an X connection can cause a buffer over-read during pattern matching of fonts, leading to information disclosure or a crash (denial of service). This occurs because '\0' characters are incorrectly skipped in situations involving ? characters.

📊 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
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product x.org / libxfont
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-125

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-2017-13720 impacting x.org libxfont.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-13720.yaml
id: cve-2017-13720

info:
  name: x.org libxfont - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-13720 affecting x.org libxfont.
    Evaluation: In the PatternMatch function in fontfile/fontdir.c in libXfont through 1.5.2 and 2.x before 2.0.2, an attacker with access to an X connection can caus...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-13720
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.1
    cve-id: CVE-2017-13720
    cwe-id: CWE-125
  tags: cve,cve-2017-13720,x.org,libxfont,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "libxfont"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-13720.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-13720
# Target: x.org libxfont | CVSS: 7.1 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-13720 (x.org libxfont)...")
    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 x.org libxfont 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-2017-13720.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-13720
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install libxfont 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade libxfont 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update libxfont

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

# 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-2017-13720 in x.org libxfont?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update x.org libxfont 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-2017-13720?

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-2017-13720?

CVE-2017-13720 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.1 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.1
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-13720
Weakness CWE-125
Vendor x.org
Product libxfont
Published 2017-10-11
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H