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Actively exploited in the wild. This CVE is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list — treat remediation as urgent. Federal remediation due by 14 Jun 2022.
Xml Core ServicesApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2017-0022

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2017-03-17
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
In the wild Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) in Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607; Windows 7 SP1; Windows 8.1; Windows RT 8.1; Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1; Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2; Windows Server 2016; and Windows Vista SP2 improperly handles objects in memory, allowing attackers to test for files on disk via a crafted web site, aka "Microsoft XML Information Disclosure Vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is an information disclosure vulnerability in Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) where improper memory handling allows a crafted webpage to test for the existence of files on the user's local disk. The attacker cannot read file contents but can confirm whether specific files or paths exist, which can aid in reconnaissance for further attacks.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for this vulnerability (MS17-001) or later cumulative security update for affected Windows versions. Until patched, restrict user access to untrusted websites and consider using EMET or Windows Defender Exploit Guard.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Xml Core ServicesApplication
Affected:= 3.0
Windows 8.1Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:= r2
Windows Server 2012Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Windows version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' from command prompt and note the Windows version and build number
    Affected if The system is Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2008 R2
  2. Check MSXML 3.0 presence
    Search for msxml3.dll in C:\Windows\System32 (or equivalent System32 directory) and check its version via right-click > Properties > Details
    Affected if msxml3.dll exists on the system (MSXML 3.0 is installed)
  3. Check MSXML version registry entry
    Run 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSXML"' to query MSXML installation details
    Affected if MSXML 3.0 is registered in the registry (version 3.0.XXX is reported)
  4. Verify MSXML service pack status
    Run 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSXML\3" /v ServMinor' to check the service minor version if the key exists
    Affected if The ServMinor value is below 30 (patches before MS17-003 set this to 30 or higher)
  5. Confirm unpatched state via installed updates
    Run 'wmic qfe list' or check Windows Update history for security update KB3213986 (MS17-003)
    Affected if KB3213986 or a later cumulative security update is NOT installed

The environment is affected if it runs an affected Windows version (8.1, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2, or Server 2008 R2) with MSXML 3.0 installed and lacks the MS17-003 security update (KB3213986) or later cumulative update.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch portal.msrc.microsoft.com →
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for this vulnerability (MS17-001) or later cumulative security update for affected Windows versions. Until patched, restrict user access to untrusted websites and consider using EMET or Windows Defender Exploit Guard.

Recommended fix High confidence

Windows 10 (latest supported build) or Windows 11

  1. Upgrade to a supported Windows version (Windows 10 or Windows 11) as Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2 are no longer supported by Microsoft
  2. If upgrading is not immediately possible, check Microsoft Update Catalog for the original MS17-003 security update (CVE-2017-0022) applicable to your specific Windows version
  3. Ensure Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) is updated to a version that includes the security fix
  4. Apply all subsequent Windows security updates to maintain protection
Caveat Upgrading from Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 may require application compatibility testing; ensure line-of-business applications are compatible with newer Windows versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Xml Core Services Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-0022 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data