HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2017-17689
MEDIUM

CVE-2017-17689

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: May 16, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.9
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The S/MIME specification allows a Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) malleability-gadget attack that can indirectly lead to plaintext exfiltration, aka EFAIL.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-17689 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

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), with a CVSS base score of 5.9.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

9folders1 product(s)
nine
Apple1 product(s)
mail
bloop1 product(s)
airmail
emclient1 product(s)
emclient
flipdogsolutions1 product(s)
maildroid
freron1 product(s)
mailmate
gnome1 product(s)
evolution
Google1 product(s)
gmail
horde1 product(s)
horde imp
IBM1 product(s)
notes
kde2 product(s)
kmailtrojita
Microsoft1 product(s)
outlook
Mozilla1 product(s)
thunderbird
postbox-inc1 product(s)
postbox
r2mail21 product(s)
r2mail2
ritlabs1 product(s)
the bat
Source: NVD CPE · 20 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (12)

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104165Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://efail.deExploit · Mitigation · Third Party Advisory
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17066419Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
https://pastebin.com/gNCc8aYmThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104165Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://efail.deExploit · Mitigation · Third Party Advisory
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17066419Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
https://pastebin.com/gNCc8aYmThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2017-17689
CVSS Score5.9 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
CISA KEVNo
Affected16 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 16, 2018

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-noinfo)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2017-17689 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.