Is CVE-2017-16857 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2017-16857 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2017-16857 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2017-16857 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-16857?

CVE-2017-16857 has a CVSS score of 8.5 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2017-16857

CWE-362Published: December 5, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.5

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

It is possible to bypass the bitbucket auto-unapprove plugin via minimal brute-force because it is relying on asynchronous events on the back-end. This allows an attacker to merge any code into unsuspecting repositories. This affects all versions of the auto-unapprove plugin, however since the auto-unapprove plugin is not bundled with Bitbucket Server it does not affect any particular version of Bitbucket.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-16857 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

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 8.5.

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.