HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2017-12-13

CVE-2017-17537

mikrotik routerboard Security Advisory (CVE-2017-17537)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-17537 impacting mikrotik routerboard. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
MikroTik RouterBOARD v6.39.2 and v6.40.5 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a denial of service by connecting to TCP port 53 and sending data that begins with many '\0' characters, possibly related to DNS.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
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 mikrotik / routerboard
Affected Versions 6.39.2
Weakness Enumeration CWE-20

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-2017-17537 impacting mikrotik routerboard.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-17537.yaml
id: cve-2017-17537

info:
  name: mikrotik routerboard - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-17537 affecting mikrotik routerboard.
    Evaluation: MikroTik RouterBOARD v6.39.2 and v6.40.5 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a denial of service by connecting to TCP port 53 and sendi...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-17537
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2017-17537
    cwe-id: CWE-20
  tags: cve,cve-2017-17537,mikrotik,routerboard,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "routerboard"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-17537.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-17537
# Target: mikrotik routerboard | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-17537 (mikrotik routerboard)...")
    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 mikrotik routerboard scope (6.39.2).")
        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-2017-17537.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-17537
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install routerboard 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade routerboard 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update routerboard

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

# 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.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
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Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-17537 in mikrotik routerboard?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update mikrotik routerboard 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-2017-17537?

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-2017-17537?

CVE-2017-17537 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-17537
Weakness CWE-20
Vendor mikrotik
Product routerboard
Published 2017-12-13
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H