HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2017-2640
HIGH

CVE-2017-2640

CWE-787Published: July 27, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An out-of-bounds write flaw was found in the way Pidgin before 2.12.0 processed XML content. A malicious remote server could potentially use this flaw to crash Pidgin or execute arbitrary code in the context of the pidgin process.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-2640 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 7.5.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
pidgin1 product(s)
pidgin
Red Hat5 product(s)
enterprise linux desktopenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server eusenterprise linux workstation
Source: NVD CPE · 8 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (10)

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96775Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2017-2640Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96775Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2017-2640Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2017-2640
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedJul 27, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2017-2640 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.