CVE-2017-6327 Symantec Symantec Messaging Gateway: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install Symantec's security update for Symantec Messaging Gateway. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Symantec Messaging Gateway Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Symantec Symantec Messaging Gateway
- CISA description
- Symantec Messaging Gateway contains an unspecified vulnerability which can allow for remote code execution. With the ability to perform remote code execution, an attacker may also desire to perform privilege escalating actions.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-20)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2017-6327 ·
Questions about CVE-2017-6327
Is CVE-2017-6327 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2017-6327 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2017-6327?
Install Symantec's security update for Symantec Messaging Gateway. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2017-6327?
Only if you use Symantec Symantec Messaging Gateway. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.