NifiApplication · Apache
CVE-2017-15697
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 · uneditedA malicious X-ProxyContextPath or X-Forwarded-Context header containing external resources or embedded code could cause remote code execution. The fix to properly handle these headers was applied on the Apache NiFi 1.5.0 release. Users running a prior 1.x release should upgrade to the appropriate release.
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 confidenceApache NiFi prior to 1.5.0 does not properly validate X-ProxyContextPath and X-Forwarded-Context HTTP headers, allowing attackers to inject malicious values containing external resources or embedded code that executes on the server, leading to remote 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
NifiApplication
>= 1.0.0, <= 1.4.0CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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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Identify Apache NiFi versionCheck the version by reviewing the nifi-app.log file for a line containing 'NiFi' and version number, or inspect the 'about' page in the NiFi UI at /nifi-api/about, or run: ls -la <nifi-install-dir>/RELEASE-NOTES.txtAffected if Version is 1.0.0, 1.1.0, 1.2.0, 1.3.0, or 1.4.0 (within range >=1.0.0 and <=1.4.0)
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Confirm reverse proxy configurationExamine the nifi.properties file (typically in <nifi-install-dir>/conf/) for properties containing 'Proxy' or 'Forwarded', or check if a reverse proxy (like Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, or AWS API Gateway) is configured to route requests to NiFiAffected if A reverse proxy is configured and passing X-ProxyContextPath or X-Forwarded-Context headers to NiFi without additional validation at the proxy layer
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Inspect HTTP header handling in NiFiReview the nifi.properties file for any 'nifi.web.proxy' properties and check the NiFi startup logs for any errors related to header parsingAffected if NiFi is configured to accept proxied requests and the X-ProxyContextPath or X-Forwarded-Context headers are being processed without sanitization
The environment is affected if Apache NiFi version is between 1.0.0 and 1.4.0 inclusive AND the installation is accessible via a reverse proxy or other mechanism that can inject X-ProxyContextPath or X-Forwarded-Context HTTP headers.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade Apache NiFi to version 1.5.0 or later to obtain the patched code that properly handles these headers.
Apache NiFi 1.5.0
- Stop the current Apache NiFi instance
- Backup the entire NiFi installation directory, including configuration files and data
- Download Apache NiFi 1.5.0 or later from the official Apache NiFi distribution (nifi.apache.org)
- Extract the new NiFi 1.5.0+ release to a temporary location
- Copy the backed-up configuration files (nifi.properties, flow.xml.gz, etc.) to the new installation
- Verify configuration compatibility and adjust any settings if needed
- Start the new NiFi instance
- Verify the application is running correctly and the vulnerability is mitigated
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Nifi
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-15697 — 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-2017-15697 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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