Is CVE-2017-17521 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2017-17521 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2017-17521 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2017-17521 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-17521?

CVE-2017-17521 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2017-17521

CWE-74Published: December 14, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

uiutil.c in FontForge through 20170731 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWSER environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to conduct argument-injection attacks via a crafted URL, a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-17534.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-17521 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

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.