HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2017-03-03

CVE-2017-2290

puppet mcollective-puppet-agent Security Advisory (CVE-2017-2290)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-2290 impacting puppet mcollective-puppet-agent. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
On Windows installations of the mcollective-puppet-agent plugin, version 1.12.0, a non-administrator user can create an executable that will be executed with administrator privileges on the next "mco puppet" run. Puppet Enterprise users are not affected. This is resolved in mcollective-puppet-agent 1.12.1.

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

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product puppet / mcollective-puppet-agent
Affected Versions 1.12.0
Weakness Enumeration CWE-732

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-2017-2290 impacting puppet mcollective-puppet-agent.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-2290.yaml
id: cve-2017-2290

info:
  name: puppet mcollective-puppet-agent - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-2290 affecting puppet mcollective-puppet-agent.
    Evaluation: On Windows installations of the mcollective-puppet-agent plugin, version 1.12.0, a non-administrator user can create an executable that will be execut...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-2290
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-2290
    cwe-id: CWE-732
  tags: cve,cve-2017-2290,puppet,mcollective-puppet-agent,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "mcollective-puppet-agent"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-2290.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-2290
# Target: puppet mcollective-puppet-agent | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-2290 (puppet mcollective-puppet-agent)...")
    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 puppet mcollective-puppet-agent scope (1.12.0).")
        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-2017-2290.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-2290
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install mcollective-puppet-agent 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade mcollective-puppet-agent 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update mcollective-puppet-agent

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

# 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

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-2290 in puppet mcollective-puppet-agent?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update puppet mcollective-puppet-agent 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-2017-2290?

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-2017-2290?

CVE-2017-2290 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-2290
Weakness CWE-732
Vendor puppet
Product mcollective-puppet-agent
Published 2017-03-03
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H