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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2017-6305 Debian CVE debrief

CVE-2017-6305 is a high-severity memory-safety issue in ytnef, described by NVD as an out-of-bounds read and write in versions before 1.9.1. The NVD record also ties the issue to Debian-packaged ytnef on Debian 8.0 and 9.0. Because the attack requires local execution conditions and user interaction, the most important defense is to move to a fixed ytnef release and ensure vendor updates are applied on affected systems.

Vendor
Debian
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 7.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-24
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-24
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Administrators and security teams responsible for systems that install ytnef, especially Debian 8/9 environments listed by NVD. Teams handling email attachment processing or TNEF parsing should also care because ytnef is a TNEF-related parser and the flaw involves memory corruption during parsing.

Technical summary

NVD classifies the issue with CVSS 3.0 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H and weaknesses CWE-125 and CWE-787. The vulnerability is described as an out-of-bounds read and write in ytnef before 1.9.1, which can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability if triggered. The affected CPE criteria in NVD include ytnef up to version 1.9 and Debian 8.0/9.0 package entries.

Defensive priority

High — prioritize patching or package remediation for any installed ytnef instances, especially systems mapped to the affected Debian releases and any deployment still on versions before 1.9.1.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade ytnef to version 1.9.1 or later, or apply the vendor-distributed package update if you use a packaged build.
  • Check Debian 8.0 and 9.0 systems for ytnef installations and apply the security advisory referenced by Debian DSA-3846.
  • Inventory applications and mail-processing paths that parse TNEF content so you can confirm they are using a fixed ytnef version.
  • Validate package manifests and vulnerability scans for ytnef versions at or below the affected range reported by NVD.

Evidence notes

The supplied NVD record states the vulnerability is in ytnef before 1.9.1 and describes it as an out-of-bounds read and write. NVD also lists affected CPE criteria for ytnef and Debian Linux 8.0/9.0, and gives CVSS 3.0 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H with CWE-125 and CWE-787. Reference links include Debian DSA-3846, an OSS-security patch discussion dated 2017-02-15, GitHub pull request 27, and the X41 advisory, which together support remediation via an upstream fix and vendor updates.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2017-6305 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-6305

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2017-6305 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6305

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.