CRITICAL CVSS 9.8
Published: 2017-12-31

CVE-2017-18001

trustwave secure_web_gateway Security Advisory (CVE-2017-18001)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
Seeking technical exploit breakdowns or verified PoC code for CVE-2017-18001?
🔬 Search Writeups & Exploit Archive →

CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-18001 impacting trustwave secure_web_gateway. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Trustwave Secure Web Gateway (SWG) through 11.8.0.27 allows remote attackers to append an arbitrary public key to the device's SSH Authorized Keys data, and consequently obtain remote root access, via the publicKey parameter to the /sendKey URI.

📊 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
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product trustwave / secure_web_gateway
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-306

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-2017-18001 impacting trustwave secure_web_gateway.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-18001.yaml
id: cve-2017-18001

info:
  name: trustwave secure_web_gateway - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-18001 affecting trustwave secure_web_gateway.
    Evaluation: Trustwave Secure Web Gateway (SWG) through 11.8.0.27 allows remote attackers to append an arbitrary public key to the device's SSH Authorized Key...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-18001
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-18001
    cwe-id: CWE-306
  tags: cve,cve-2017-18001,trustwave,secure_web_gateway,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "secure_web_gateway"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-18001.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-18001
# Target: trustwave secure_web_gateway | CVSS: 9.8 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-18001 (trustwave secure_web_gateway)...")
    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 trustwave secure_web_gateway 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-2017-18001.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-18001
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install secure_web_gateway 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade secure_web_gateway 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update secure_web_gateway

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

# 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-2017-18001 in trustwave secure_web_gateway?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update trustwave secure_web_gateway 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-2017-18001?

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-2017-18001?

CVE-2017-18001 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.8
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-18001
Weakness CWE-306
Vendor trustwave
Product secure_web_gateway
Published 2017-12-31
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H