CVE-2017-12702
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 · uneditedAn Externally Controlled Format String issue was discovered in Advantech WebAccess versions prior to V8.2_20170817. String format specifiers based on user provided input are not properly validated, which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.
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 confidenceAdvantech WebAccess versions prior to V8.2_20170817 contain an externally controlled format string vulnerability where user-provided input is not properly validated before being used in string format specifiers. This improper input handling could allow an attacker to inject format specifiers (such as %s, %x, %n) to read from or write to memory, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
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<= 8.2CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Advantech WebAccess is installedLook for the WebAccess installation directory (commonly at C:\Advantech\WebAccess or C:\InduSoft\WebAccess), or check Windows Services for 'WebAccess' or 'BroadWin WebAccess' servicesAffected if If WebAccess software is found on the system, proceed to version check; if not present, not affected
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Identify the installed WebAccess versionCheck the version information in the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Advantech\WebAccess\Version, or right-click on the main executable (typically BwMain.exe or WebAccess.exe) and view Properties > Details for the File VersionAffected if If version cannot be determined or is earlier than 8.2.20170817, further investigation needed
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Compare version to affected rangeCompare the identified version string to V8.2_20170817. Versions are typically formatted as major.minor.build (for example, 8.1, 8.2, 8.2_20170817). The build date in the version string indicates the release dateAffected if If version is lower than 8.2_20170817 (for example, 8.1.x, 8.0.x, or versions without the _20170817 build date suffix), the system is affected by this format string vulnerability
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Verify the vulnerable feature is presentThe format string vulnerability exists in the WebAccess dashboard or common gateway interface components that process user input. Check if the web interface is accessible and enabled (default port 80 or 8080)Affected if If the web server component is running and the version is vulnerable, the format string flaw can be triggered through web requests
If Advantech WebAccess is installed and its version is anything earlier than V8.2_20170817, the system is affected by this format string vulnerability that could allow arbitrary code execution.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade to WebAccess V8.2_20170817 or later. Alternatively, audit the codebase for instances where user input is passed to format string functions (printf, sprintf, fprintf, etc.) and ensure all user-supplied strings are properly validated or used as arguments rather than format strings.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-12702 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-12702 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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