HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2017-5940
HIGH

CVE-2017-5940

CWE-269Published: February 9, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Firejail before 0.9.44.6 and 0.9.38.x LTS before 0.9.38.10 LTS does not comprehensively address dotfile cases during its attempt to prevent accessing user files with an euid of zero, which allows local users to conduct sandbox-escape attacks via vectors involving a symlink and the --private option. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2017-5180.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-5940 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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 8.8.

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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

firejail_project1 product(s)
firejail
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

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

All References (14)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2017-5940
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-269
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 9, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-269)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2017-5940 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. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.