---
title: "CVE-2017-1000254\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-1000254?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2017-1000254

Publication date 4 October 2017

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.5 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-1000254?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

libcurl may read outside of a heap allocated buffer when doing FTP. When
libcurl connects to an FTP server and successfully logs in (anonymous or
not), it asks the server for the current directory with the `PWD` command.
The server then responds with a 257 response containing the path, inside
double quotes. The returned path name is then kept by libcurl for
subsequent uses. Due to a flaw in the string parser for this directory
name, a directory name passed like this but without a closing double quote
would lead to libcurl not adding a trailing NUL byte to the buffer holding
the name. When libcurl would then later access the string, it could read
beyond the allocated heap buffer and crash or wrongly access data beyond
the buffer, thinking it was part of the path. A malicious server could
abuse this fact and effectively prevent libcurl-based clients to work with
it - the PWD command is always issued on new FTP connections and the
mistake has a high chance of causing a segfault. The simple fact that this
has issue remained undiscovered for this long could suggest that malformed
PWD responses are rare in benign servers. We are not aware of any exploit
of this flaw. This bug was introduced in commit
[415d2e7cb7](https://github.com/curl/curl/commit/415d2e7cb7), March 2005.
In libcurl version 7.56.0, the parser always zero terminates the string but
also rejects it if not terminated properly with a final double quote.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| curl | 17.10 artful | Fixed 7.55.1-1ubuntu2 |
| 17.04 zesty | Fixed 7.52.1-4ubuntu1.2 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 7.47.0-1ubuntu2.3 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 7.35.0-1ubuntu2.11 |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-1000254?format=md#patch-details)

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| curl | * Upstream:   <https://curl.haxx.se/CVE-2017-1000254.patch> * Upstream:   [5ff2c5f](https://github.com/curl/curl/commit/5ff2c5ff25750aba1a8f64fbcad8e5b891512584) |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.5 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.5 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-1000254)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1000254)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2017-1000254)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-1000254)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-3441-2](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3441-2)
+ curl vulnerabilities
+ 23 October 2017

+ [USN-3441-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3441-1)
+ curl vulnerabilities
+ 10 October 2017

### Other references

* <https://curl.haxx.se/docs/adv_20171004.html>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-1000254>
