CVEs / CVE-2017-8540
CVE-2017-8540: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 3 Mar 2022
- high 7.8 CVSS 3.1 (NVD)
- EPSS 71.8% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability".
Description
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8538 and CVE-2017-8541.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation Malware Protection Engine | Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016. | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 3 Mar 2022 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 24 Mar 2022 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply updates per vendor instructions. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-787 |
References
- CVE-2017-8540 on NVD
- CVE-2017-8540 in the CISA KEV catalog
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98703 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8540 Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42088/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-8540 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.