What is CVE-2017-5551?

CVE-2017-5551 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 4.4 out of 10. CVE-2017-5551 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2017-5551?

CVE-2017-5551 has a CVSS score of 4.4 out of 10, rated Medium severity. The vector string is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.

Is there a patch available for CVE-2017-5551?

No patch is currently available for CVE-2017-5551. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.

Is CVE-2017-5551 actively exploited?

CVE-2017-5551 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

CVE-2017-5551

Medium

The simple_set_acl function in fs/posix_acl.c in the Linux kernel before 4.9.6 preserves the setgid bit during a setxattr call involving a tmpfs filesystem, which allows local users to gain group privileges by leveraging the existence of a setgid program with restrictions on execute permissions. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-7097.

Package Linux Kernel

Published 2017-02-06

Last modified 2026-05-13

CVSS version 3.0

Patch available

Awaiting data

CVSS 3.0 score

4.4

out of 10

Medium

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

Low

Availability

None

Vector string

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2017-5551 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Debian Security
http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3791
Kernel.org
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.9.6

Release Notes Vendor Advisory
Securityfocus
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95717

Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
Securitytracker
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038053
Kernel patch commit
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=497de07d89c1410d76a15bec2bb41f24a2a89f31
Patch
Kernel patch commit
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/21/3
Patch
Kernel patch commit
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1416126
Patch

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Details

CVE ID CVE-2017-5551

Severity Medium

CVSS score 4.4 / 10

CVSS version 3.0

Published 2017-02-06

Modified 2026-05-13

KEV No

Patch Awaiting data

Package linux

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5551?

CVE-2017-5551 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 4.4 out of 10 . CVE-2017-5551 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2017-5551?

CVE-2017-5551 has a CVSS score of 4.4 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.0). The vector string is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
Is there a patch available for CVE-2017-5551?

No patch is currently available for CVE-2017-5551. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.
Is CVE-2017-5551 actively exploited?

No — CVE-2017-5551 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.