Is CVE-2017-16731 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2017-16731 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2017-16731 be exploited remotely?

Partially. CVE-2017-16731 requires adjacent network access (same network segment) to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-16731?

CVE-2017-16731 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2017-16731

CWE-523Published: December 20, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An Unprotected Transport of Credentials issue was discovered in ABB Ellipse 8.3 through Ellipse 8.9 released prior to December 2017 (including Ellipse Select). A vulnerability exists in the authentication of Ellipse to LDAP/AD using the LDAP protocol. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sniffing local network traffic, allowing the discovery of authentication credentials.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-16731 requires adjacent network access, limiting remote exploitation but still posing risk in shared or local network environments.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.